A variety of possible public funding sources are available for community projects aiming to reduce risk to life and property. They include:
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs.
- Hazard Mitigation Grants (HMGP)
- Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA)
- Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grants (PDM)
- Severe Repetitive Loss Grants (SRL)
In Massachusetts, these programs are administered by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). MEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Program Overview page explains how this process works, who is eligible to apply, the types of work eligible, and the cost share. In addition, MEMA has pages with specific information regarding PDM & FMA Grants and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Questions? Contact Sarah White, Mitigation Unit Supervisor, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, at (508) 820-2053 or Sarah.white@state.ma.us.
The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs' (EEA) Office of Grants and Technical Assistance serves as a first stop for EEA funding assistance. The Massachusetts Division of Conservation Services (DCS) offers grants for acquisition of conservation and recreation land. The DCS website includes guidance and descriptions of past projects. EEA also offers grants and loans for repair or removal of publicly owned seawalls and other forms of flood control. See the Dam and Seawall Repair and Removal Fund web page for information on the types of projects that have been funded, the rules and regulations for administration and implementation of the Fund, and alternative funding sources. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) administers the Coastal Community Resilience Grant Program to provide municipalities with financial and technical resources to advance new and innovative local efforts to increase awareness of climate impacts, identify vulnerabilities, and implement measures to increase community resilience.
Patchwork Quilt: Planning and Building Livable, Safe and Sustainable Communities (PDF, 3 MB) includes an excellent description of 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 (NOAA) Coastal Services Center maintains a list of funding opportunities 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
- Funding by Region (including information specific to the Northeast)
United States Army Corps of Engineers provides technical services and planning guidance for a broad range of public activities in New England, including:
- Flood Plain Management Services
- Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction Projects
- Disaster Assistance and Emergency Response
- Small Navigation Project Study
- Aquatic 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 website.
Grants.gov provides an exhaustive searchable list of available federal grants.