FEMA published a notice in the Federal Register today seeking public comment on updates to its “Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program and Policy Guide.”
The agency remains focused on reducing barriers so communities who need resilience funding the most can access its grant programs more easily. As part of August being Disaster Resilience Month, the guide has been updated to be more equitable, reduce complexity and address climate resilience.
“One of our commitments in the new strategic plan is to put people first, and the updated guide will help catalyze community partnerships and promote more equitable investments to reduce risk,” said FEMA’s Acting Deputy Administrator for Resilience Victoria Salinas. “By simplifying programs, we can focus on better delivering our hazard mitigation grant programs to communities across the nation dealing with the worsening effects of climate change. This will help to make sure the assistance gets into the right hands for the most impactful resilience building projects.”
The updated guide provides helpful information for state, local, tribal and territorial governments seeking to successfully navigate the application and grant lifecycle processes. FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs provide funding for actions that address risks to and reduce disaster suffering from events like wildfires, drought, extreme heat, hurricanes, earthquakes and flooding.
The update consolidates policy guidance released since the 2015 edition, including addendums. It provides new and expanded content on changes to Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs mandated by the Disaster Recovery Reform Act, including the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Post Fire. The additional programs covered by the guidance include the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program.
FEMA posted the updated guide to the Federal Register under docket number FEMA-2022-0023. The public comment period will run through Sept. 23.
Comments can be submitted at regulations.gov and will become publicly available. Please follow the instructions on the page for submitting comments and contact the Regulations.gov help desk if you have any issues.
