STATE AGENCIES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, INDIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS

FY 2021 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Funding Opportunities

Key Dates and Deadlines

Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC)

BRIC Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

BRIC NOFO Fact Sheet

Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA)

FMA Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

FMA NOFO Fact Sheet

PLEASE NOTE:

DHSES will not be processing Letters of Intent (LOIs) for the FY2021 BRIC and FMA programs. Sub-applicants are to proceed directly to application development in FEMA GO upon commencement of FEMA’s Application Period on September 30, 2021. DHSES recommends you review this announcement and FEMA’s NOFOs thoroughly and contact DHSES if you have any questions about project eligibility or requirements.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (518) 292–2304

Eligible Subapplicants

The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) is the Applicant for Hazard Mitigation Assistance and eligible Subapplicants must apply directly to DHSES. Eligible Subapplicants include:

• State Agencies

• Local Governments

• Indian Tribal Governments (may also apply directly to FEMA as Applicants)

Individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations are not eligible to apply for HMA funds; however, an eligible Subapplicant may apply on behalf of individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations.

** Subapplicants must have a FEMA-approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan by the application deadline (January 28, 2022) and at the time of obligation of grant funds.

Justice40 Initiative

In accordance with the guiding principle of promoting equity and in implementing the Justice40 Initiative, the BRIC and FMA programs are prioritizing assistance that benefits disadvantaged communities as referenced in EO 14008. A disadvantaged community may be characterized by variables including, but not limited to: low income, high and/or persistent poverty, high unemployment and underemployment, racial and ethnic segregation, particularly where the segregation stems from discrimination by government entities, linguistic isolation, high housing cost burden and substandard housing, distressed neighborhoods, high transportation cost burden and/or low transportation access, disproportionate environmental stressor burden and high cumulative impacts, limited water and sanitation access and affordability, disproportionate impacts from climate, high energy cost burden and low energy access, jobs lost through the energy transition, access to health care, and all geographic areas within Tribal jurisdictions.

In FY21, the FMA program is using the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) at the census tract level at a threshold of 0.7501 or greater as included in the project’s benefiting area map as a priority scoring criterion for Project Scoping, Community Flood Mitigation Projects, and Individual Flood Mitigation Projects project types.

Cost Share

A non-federal cost share is required for all subapplications funded under HMA programs. The non-federal cost share may consist of cash, donated or third-part in-kind services, materials, or any combination thereof.

• The cost share for BRIC is 75 percent federal and 25 percent non-federal. “Economically Disadvantaged Rural Communities” (previously referred to as and synonymous with small impoverished communities) are eligible for an increase in cost share up to 90 percent federal and 10 percent non-federal (see page 12 of the BRIC NOFO for more information).

• The cost share for FMA is generally 75 percent federal and 25 percent non-federal; however, FEMA may increase the cost share to 100 percent federal for severe repetitive loss (SRL) properties and 90 percent federal for repetitive loss (RL) properties (see pages 8-9 of the FMA NOFO for more information on RL/SRL property definitions).

Management Costs

Subapplicants who are awarded HMA funding are eligible for reimbursement of up to 5 percent of the total project award for eligible and reasonable indirect costs, direct administrative costs, and other administrative expenses associated with a specific mitigation measure or project. Subapplicants must add management cost activities to the Scope of Work section and identify a line item in the Cost Estimate section of the FEMA GO application.

For more information on eligible management cost activities, see pages 7-8 of the BRIC NOFO and pages 17-18 of the FMA NOFO.

Subapplication Submittal – FEMA GO

All subapplications must be submitted through the FEMA’s grants management system, FEMA Grants Outcome (FEMA GO). For additional information and assistance with FEMA GO, visit FEMA's website.

FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program prioritizes comprehensive, long-term risk reduction strategies that improve public infrastructure, mitigate risk to one or more Community Lifelines, incorporate nature-based solutions, enhance climate resilience and adaptation; and increases funding to applicants that facilitate the adoption and enforcement of the latest published editions of building codes. BRIC encourages mitigation projects that meet multiple program priorities.

Subapplicants should place careful consideration on how their work would potentially benefit disadvantaged communities. FEMA will work to ensure that at least 40 percent of the benefits go towards disadvantaged communities, in accordance with the Administration’s Justice40 Initiative.

Total Available Nationwide Funding for BRIC: $1,000,000,000

ELIGIBLE AWARD CATEGORIES

(1) Capability and Capacity Building (C&CB)

Total federal funding available: $81,000,000

New York State maximum allocation: $1,000,000* (federal share)

C&CB activities are those which enhance the knowledge, skills, expertise, etc., of the current workforce to expand or improve the administration of mitigation assistance. C&CB activities must result in a resource, strategy, or tangible mitigation product that will reduce or eliminate risk and damage from future natural hazards, increase resilience, and promote a culture of preparedness.

Eligible activities include:

• Building codes activities

• Partnerships

• Project scoping

• Hazard Mitigation Planning

• Planning-related activities

*NYS will make available up to $1,000,000 for C&CB activities, $500,000 of which may be used for mitigation planning and planning-related activities.

Resources:

FEMA Program Support – Building Code Activities

FEMA Program Support – Partnership Activities

FEMA Program Support – Project Scoping Activities

FEMA Program Support – Mitigation Planning Activities

FEMA Program Support – Phased Projects

(2) Mitigation Projects

Total federal funding available (nationally competitive): $919,000,000

Maximum project cost: $50,000,000 (federal share)

Subapplication limit for Applicants: Unlimited

Mitigation projects are those that are cost-effective and designed to increase resilience and public safety, reduce injuries and loss of life, and reduce damage and destruction to property, critical services, facilities, and infrastructure.

For more information on eligible project activities, please consult the 2015 FEMA HMA Guidance, as well as the HMA Unified Guidance Amendment.

Resources:

FEMA Support – HMA Mitigation Action Portfolio

FEMA BCA Toolkit Version 6.0

Building Community Resilience with Nature-Based Solutions

Eligibility Criteria Overview for Projects

• Mitigation projects must be technically feasible and proven cost-effective using FEMA’s Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) software. Version 6.0 or newer are the only versions FEMA will accept as documentation for demonstrating cost-effectiveness. A non-FEMA BCA methodology may only be used if pre-approved by FEMA in writing. All project applications must include a BCA containing all appropriate back-up documentation and:

o Address a problem that has been repetitive or that poses a risk to public health and safety and improved property if left unresolved;

o Contribute to a long-term solution to the problem it is intended to address; and

o Account for long-term changes to the areas and entities it protects and has manageable future maintenance and modification requirements.

• Mitigation projects must solve a problem independently or constitute a functional portion of a long-term solution for which there is assurance that the project as a whole will be completed or there is a reasonable plan and available funding for completion.

• Mitigation projects must, at a minimum, be in conformance with the latest published editions (meaning either of the two most recently published editions) of relevant consensus-based codes, specifications, and standards that incorporate the latest hazard-resistant designs.

• If the mitigation project is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), the jurisdiction in which it falls must be a participating member of the National Flood Insurance Program that is not on probation, suspended, or withdrawn.

• Consideration should be given to the effects of climate change including high winds, flash floods, and/or continued sea level rise on infrastructure and ensure responsible floodplain and wetland management based on the history of flood mitigation efforts and the frequency, duration, and intensity of precipitation events; exposure and sensitivity to extreme temperatures; drought; and wildfire.

• Construction activities for which ground disturbance has already been initiated or completed are not eligible for funding. Non-construction activities that have already started may not be considered for funding.

For more information on eligibility criteria for projects, please consult pages 9-11 of the BRIC NOFO.

SUBAPPLICATION EVALUATION CRITERIA

DHSES will review all subapplications for programmatic eligibility and completeness. All subapplications that pass the programmatic review will be ranked based on a review that is aligned with FEMA’s Evaluation Criteria and submitted to FEMA.

FEMA will also review all subapplications to ensure programmatic eligibility. Subapplications submitted to the national competition that pass the programmatic review will be scored with technical and qualitative evaluation criteria as described on pages 26-29 of the BRIC NOFO.

For more details on the evaluation criteria that FEMA will use in the BRIC national competition, please see:

FEMA Program Support – Technical Criteria

FEMA Program Support – Qualitative Criteria

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

FEMA Community Lifelines

FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program Resource List

The Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program provides federal funding to reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings and structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

In FY21, the FMA program is using the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) at the census tract level at a threshold of 0.7501 or greater as included in the project’s benefiting area map as a priority scoring criterion for Project Scoping, Community Flood Mitigation Projects, and Individual Flood Mitigation Projects project types.

Total Available Nationwide Funding for FMA: $160,000,000

ELIGIBLE AWARD CATEGORIES

(1) Project Scoping (previously Advance Assistance)

Total federal funding available (nationally competitive): $10,000,000

Funding limits: $300k per Project Scoping subapplication for individual flood mitigation projects

$900k per Project Scoping subapplication for community flood mitigation projects

Project Scoping activities develop community flood mitigation projects and/or individual flood mitigation projects that will subsequently reduce flood claims against the NFIP. Project scoping can be used to obtain data and to prioritize, select, and develop community flood mitigation projects and/or individual flood mitigation projects for future funding based on current FEMA-approved mitigation plans.

Eligible Project Scoping activities must benefit NFIP insured properties. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Conducting meetings, outreach and coordination with Subapplicants and community residents

• Developing or conducting engineering, environmental feasibility and/or benefit-cost analyses

• Undertaking activities that lead to development of project applications

• Evaluating facilities to identify mitigation actions

• Using staff or resources to develop cost share strategies

(2) Community Flood Mitigation Projects

Total federal funding available (nationally competitive): $70M

Funding limit: $30M per subapplication

Community flood mitigation projects address community flood risk for the purpose of reducing NFIP flood claim payments. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Localized flood control

• Floodwater storage and diversion

• Floodplain and stream restoration

• Stormwater management

• Wetland restoration/creation

(3) Flood Hazard Mitigation Planning

Funding limit: $100,000 for all subapplications combined ($50,000 cap for state subapplications and $25,000 cap for local subapplications)

Planning subapplications are for the flood hazard component of State, Local, Territory, and Tribal Hazard Mitigation Plans and plan updates.

(4) Individual Flood Mitigation Projects

Individual Flood Mitigation projects mitigate the risk of flooding to individual NFIP-insured structures.

For more information on eligible criteria for projects, please consult page 23 of the FMA NOFO.

SUBAPPLICATION EVALUATION CRITERIA

The State will review all subapplications for programmatic eligibility and completeness. All subapplications that pass the programmatic review will be ranked based on benefits to NFIP insured properties and submitted to FEMA.