Funding

There are many possible funding sources for community projects aiming to reduce risk to life and property. They include:

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has several Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs.
• Hazard Mitigation Grants
• Flood Mitigation Assistance
• Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grants
• Severe Repetitive Loss Grants
For an overview of what types of projects are covered by each grant type, see this FEMA table (PDF, 14 KB). For brief summaries of the grant programs, see the State's Hazard Mitigation Grants web page. The State Hazard Mitigation Plan contains details regarding past hazard mitigation projects, funding and success stories.

In Massachusetts, these programs are administered by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Questions? Contact Acting State Hazard Mitigation Officer, Richard Zingarelli, at (617) 626-1406 or Richard.Zingarelli@state.ma.us.
• Massachusetts Division of Conservation Services (a part of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs) offers grants for various projects, including land acquisition. For more information see the Grant and Loan Guide on their homepage.
• Massachusetts Coastal Smart Growth Program has a useful list of many grant programs, some of which may be applicable to efforts to protect coastal communities.
• The Patchwork Quilt: Planning and Building Livable, Safe & Sustainable Communities (PDF, 3.2 MB) includes an excellent description of the many sources of funds available to assist in a range of activities, from rebuilding after a disaster, mitigating hazards before a disaster, funding for hazard mitigation planning, economic revitalization and community assistance, to infrastructure and housing assistance.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coastal Services Center maintains a list of grant announcements and provides links to additional NOAA, other federal agency, and nonprofit funding. Other opportunities focus on the following four categories:
• Coastal and Natural Resource Management
• Communities
• Data and Information
• Regional Specialties – including information specific to the Northeast
• United States Army Corps of Engineers provides technical services and planning guidance for a broad range of activities, including:
• Flood Plain Management Services
• Flood Damage Reduction and Hurricane Barriers
• Disaster Assistance and Emergency Response
• Navigation Projects
• Ecosystem Restoration Projects including salt marsh restoration
• Environmental Restoration including modifications of current Corps installations to reduce their ecological impacts
For additional information, see the New England District's Corps website.
• For an exhaustive searchable list of available federal grants, see grants.gov.