A variety of possible public funding sources are available for community resilience projects aiming to reduce risk to life and property and restore natural resources. They include:
The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management’s (CZM) Coastal Resilience Grant Program provides municipalities and eligible nonprofit organizations 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.
The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program provides support for community climate resiliency planning and project implementation. EEA Planning Assistance Grants help communities develop and implement land use regulations such as zoning to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and permanently conserve land and protect natural resources. 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 or Removal Program web page for information on the types of projects that have been funded, the rules and regulations for administration and implementation of the program, and alternative funding sources. The Massachusetts Division of Conservation Services (DCS) offers multiple grant programs for acquisition of conservation and recreation land. The DCS website includes guidance and descriptions of past projects.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Flood Hazard Management Program administer Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Grants. MEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Programs 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 Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Grants and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). Questions? Contact Sarah White, MEMA State Hazard Mitigation Officer at (508) 820-2053 or sarah.white@mass.gov.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management maintains a list of open and recent NOAA funding opportunities and provides links to other federal agency, and nonprofit funding for communities. 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)
NOAA has partnered with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support coastal resilience projects through the National Coastal Resilience Fund. Grant projects restore or expand natural features such as salt marshes, dunes, and beach systems that help minimize the impacts of storms and sea level rise on communities and habitats.
The 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.
The Natural Hazard Mitigation Association's Patchwork Quilt: Planning and Building Livable, Safe and Sustainable Communities includes a 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.