Other Mitigation & Resilience Grant Programs

Mitigation and resilience grants can come from many sources – not just the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Department of Transportation (DOT) also offer resources that support state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments achieve their resilience goals.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING & URBAN DEVELOPMENT

On August 30, 2019, HUD published the long-awaited Federal Register Notice that provides guidance for the new mitigation component of the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program. While HUD has allocated more than $70 billion in CDBG-DR funding since 2001, this component, identified as CDBG-MIT, represents the first allocation solely for the purposes of mitigating the impact of future disasters.

Eligible categories of work include:

  • Infrastructure: Construction of risk reduction infrastructure or retrofitting existing infrastructure to increase resistance to disasters.
  • Housing: Buyouts, residential retrofits, or new construction.
  • Economic Development: Financing programs for commercial mitigation functions,
  • Planning and Administration: Developing building codes and land use plans, updating FEMA Hazard Mitigation Plans (HMPs), and risk-related mapping and data collection.
  • Matching Funds: Use as a state/local cost-share match for other federal agency programs, such as the FEMA Public Assistance (PA) Program or Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).

In the Notice, HUD places strong emphasis on aligning the CDBG-MIT Program with FEMA mitigation programs and initiatives, particularly the HMGP. Additionally, HUD identifies a heightened scrutiny on financial management controls, procurement processes, grant management, and cost verification.

Hagerty’s professionals offer expertise across HUD and FEMA grants; our professionals supported the development, management, and implementation of over $4.5 billion of HUD CDBG grants and $1.5 billion of FEMA HMGP grants. Our expertise can help you leverage these grant streams to develop a comprehensive funding package that maximises resilience.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Transportation systems and infrastructure are essential for any jurisdiction. When disaster strikes, the Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief (FHWA-ER) Program repairs and restores public transportation systems and bridges. In addition to the FHWA, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) can also make emergency relief available to disaster areas.