More than $3 Billion in Funding for BRIC, FMA in FY2022
FEMA has published funding notices for two hazard mitigation assistance grant programs and there’s more than $3 billion available during the Fiscal Year 2022 application period to help communities become more resilient to climate change and associated extreme weather events and other hazards.
Funding levels for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program will more than double to nearly $2.3 billion while the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program will see a five-fold increase to $800 million. Funding for the two programs has increased from $700 million in FY20 and $1.16 billion in FY21. Yet despite the historic levels of funding, the need for mitigation investments continues to outpace available dollars as FEMA received application requests for a combined $4.7 billion for BRIC and FMA this past year.
A large portion of the FY22 funding increase is coming from last year’s bipartisan infrastructure law, which is infusing $900 million into the two HMA programs — $700 million for FMA and $200 million for BRIC. The rest will come from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund.
A Focus on Equity and Capacity-Building
Aligning with the Biden administration’s Justice40 Initiative, the BRIC and FMA programs aim to deliver 40% of the overall benefits to disadvantaged communities that are overburdened and underserved.
Using money from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, FEMA is increasing the federal cost share to 90% for socially vulnerable communities to lower the financial burden on certain resilience activities. The agency plans to assist federally recognized tribal governments and disadvantaged communities with conducting the Benefit-Cost Analysis for resilience projects to meet eligibility requirements.
FEMA is also expanding investment in the BRIC’s non-financial Direct Technical Assistance to at least 40 communities in the next grant cycle to help build capacity and capability at the local level.
“Disasters themselves don’t discriminate, but their impacts are often felt hardest by our most vulnerable communities, which can make it even harder to get help to the people who need it most,” said FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik Hooks. “This is why FEMA is expanding opportunities for better access to disaster resilience grants by making Direct Technical Assistance more available for communities who seek this critical funding.”
FEMA will share additional information on BRIC’s Direct Technical Assistance with stakeholders. Interested applicants may also visit the BRIC Direct Technical Assistance webpage to find information and detailed instructions on how to submit an application once available.
BRIC Priorities and Key Changes
The BRIC program, now in its third year, aims to shift the federal focus away from reactive disaster spending and toward research-supported, proactive investment in community resilience. It supports states, local communities, tribes and territories as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards.
In Fiscal Year 2022, the BRIC program’s priorities are to:
- Incentivize natural hazard risk reduction activities that mitigate risk to public infrastructure and disadvantaged communities, as referenced in Executive Order 14008 – Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad
- Incorporate nature-based solutions, including those designed to reduce carbon emissions
- Enhance climate resilience and adaptation
- Increase funding for the adoption and enforcement of the latest published editions of building codes
- Encourage hazard mitigation projects that meet multiple program priorities
In addition to more than doubling the overall funding levels, BRIC also increased the State/Territory Allocation subtotal from $1 million to $2 million and the Tribal Set-Aside from $25 million to $50 million.
Other changes include:
- Removed the subapplicant hazard mitigation plan requirement for certain Capability and Capacity Building Activities: (1) hazard mitigation planning and planning-related activities, (2) partnerships, and (3) building code activities.
- Allowed entities working in collaboration with an Economically Disadvantaged Rural Community (EDRC) to build and submit a subapplication on their behalf and include an authorization letter with the subapplication permitting them to do so and receive the 90% federal cost share increased funding. This change was introduced to increase equitable access to the program.
- FEMA may assist EDRCs, federal recognized tribal governments, or disadvantaged communities (CDC SVI score greater than .80) with developing a Benefit-Cost Analysis for mitigation projects after submission of the project, as the Benefit-Cost Analysis requirement has been removed as a condition to apply for a grant.
Download the BRIC Fact Sheet for details on these and other changes
The FMA Priorities and Changes
The FMA program provides funds to state, local, tribal and territorial governments to reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). In addition to the increase in funding, some of the changes to this year’s FMA program include:
- Increased the federal cost share for disadvantaged communities to 90% for Capability and Capacity Building activities, Localized Flood Risk Reduction Projects, and Individual Flood Mitigation Projects up until the IIJA funds are exhausted.
- Added Capability and Capacity Building Activities as a new program priority activity to enhance the knowledge, skills and expertise of the local community to expand or improve the administration of flood mitigation assistance. Examples of activities include: (1) develop or update hazard mitigation plans, (2) support technical assistance to states, (3) project scoping, (4) partnership development, (5) enhancing local floodplain management, and (6) Severe Repetitive Loss and/or Repetitive Loss strategy plan development. See detailed fact sheet on C&CB
- Increased the funding cap for Capability and Capacity Building Project Scoping subapplications to $900,000.
- Assisting federal recognized tribal governments or disadvantaged communities (CDC Socially Vulnerable Index score greater than .80) with developing a Benefit-Cost Analysis for mitigation projects after submission of the project, as the Benefit-Cost Analysis requirement has been removed as a condition to apply for a grant.
- Renamed Community Flood Mitigation Projects to Localized Flood Risk Reduction Projects and increased funding from $30 million to $50 million.
- Allowing Phased Projects to receive funding under the Local Flood Risk Reduction Project category that are complex and require technical or environmental and historic preservation data beyond what is required for a typical Flood Mitigation Assistance project. For more information, review the Phased Projects fact sheet.
Download the FMA Fact Sheet for details on these and other changes.
Getting Started
There are numerous resources available on the FEMA website to help you understand eligibility requirements, capability and capacity building activities, technical assistance, and more for both the BRIC program and the FMA program. FEMA is also hosting a 10-part webinar series to help potential applicants navigate the application process. State or tribal program managers for these funds (typically it is the state hazard mitigation program) may also have additional resources and capacity to assist.
Although the application period for both grants officially opens Sept. 30 on Grants.gov, you must contact your state or tribal program manager for these funds to identify internal state or tribal deadlines and procedures for application submission (these will likely be different and earlier than the FEMA deadlines. (ASFPM maintains a list of state hazard mitigation officers here). Eligible applicants must apply for funding using FEMA Grants Outcomes, the agency’s grants management system. Full application submittals are due from the state or tribe to FEMA no later than 3:00 p.m. ET on Jan. 27, 2023.
