ASFPM: You Spoke, and FEMA Heard You.

Members of the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) are — and always will be — amongst FEMA’s strongest critics and staunchest allies. We applaud your assertiveness and commitment to disaster resilience through floodplain management, and we value our partnership. In response to your November 10, 2021 Resolution regarding the FEMA Building Resilient Communities & Infrastructure (BRIC) Grant Program and Recommended Changes, there are several points to consider. Let me begin with this…FEMA has learned from more than 40 years of experience at the forefront of emergency management that equity is key to disaster resilience for the whole community. Inequity, however, remains a barrier. On this point, we agree.

As you well know, BRIC’s policy and program design, informed by stakeholder feedback, encourages larger, more innovative projects that make a significant impact on whole community resilience. BRIC projects, chosen last summer via the national competition, funded the adoption of modern building codes, incorporated nature-based solutions into mitigation projects, and supported community lifelines. The state allocations also funded a plethora of other smaller project types. FEMA additionally provided non-financial direct technical assistance, education and tools and resources for our stakeholders.

The BRIC grant program is a bold financial undertaking that holds the promise of strengthening our nation’s infrastructure for decades to come, but it is not the only source of support. FEMA has several additional funding sources for flood mitigation work that support traditional incremental hazard mitigation projects, and we want to help all communities access these funding resources.

The fiscal year (FY) 2021 BRIC funding cycle doubled the amount of available funding to $1 billion. The agency also nearly doubled the state set-aside and increased the tribal set-aside. We also doubled the number of communities selected for non-financial Direct Technical Assistance to support capacity and capability building and increased the points through the National Competition specifically to improve the scoring potential of disadvantaged communities. We will continue to ensure all communities have fair and equal access to our programs and encourage a more equitable distribution of funding.

With the passing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program has more than tripled in size and offers $3.5 billion over the next five years for focus on future flood mitigation. This legislation also funded the FMA initiative launched in March 2022 – Swift Current – to substantially speed up receiving funding after a flooding event, rather than waiting once a year for the application cycle to open. It also, increased the federal cost share to 90% for substantially damaged buildings located within socially vulnerable communities. The FMA program prioritizes the reduction and elimination of repetitive flood damage to buildings insured under the National Flood Insurance Program and this infusion of funding will help address the year-over-year growth of multiple loss, high-risk properties. It also funds community flood mitigation projects, and traditional projects that align with the goals of organizations like ASFPM.

There is also funding available through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)  after a presidential disaster declaration that supports rebuilding in a way that reduces disaster losses in communities. HMGP funds all types of mitigation activities: planning, capacity building, small projects, large projects and everything in between.

To help meet these goals, in FY 2021 the administration authorized $3.46 billion under COVID-19 disaster declarations, for all 50 states, five territories, three tribes that received major disaster declarations, and the District of Columbia. More recently, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, increases the federal cost share from 75% to 90% for major disaster declarations between January 2020 and December 2021. Coupled with the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018, which allows states to access up to 10% and local governments up to 5% of their HMGP award for management and administration costs, there is a lot of opportunity to access funding for mitigation planning and management. FEMA believes these dollars should be used to fund projects to support underserved communities that are often most vulnerable to the impacts of climate.

We would be remiss not to mention important risk management grant programs like Community Assistance Program State Services Support Element (CAP-SSSE). In fact, CAP-SSSE provides funding related to management costs that can work in tandem with our larger portfolio of programs to address the needs of ASFPM’s stakeholders.

The amount of funding requests we received for the FY 2021 BRIC and FMA grant programs clearly demonstrates the need to increase mitigation funding across the country. That’s happening now. Fortifying our nation’s resilience to natural disasters exacerbated by climate change is a shared responsibility that begins with mitigation planning and priority setting at the state and local level. The federal government has its role in delivering the funding of grant programs, and to be successful, we must all work together at every level of government.

I think we can agree, there are no overnight solutions to solving the equity issue. If we’re honest with ourselves, we know we’re tackling a decades-old problem. The good news is we now have the resources and greater will to continue this hard work.

FEMA stands with you to help turn the tide with determination and commitment to ensuring that the most vulnerable communities are considered in the decision-making process.  

David Maurstad is FEMA’s Acting Associate Administrator of Resilience.