FEMA’s post-disaster Hazard Mitigation Grant Program helps communities create and update hazard mitigation plans, and reconstruct and reduce long-term flood risk to properties through buyouts, enforcing building codes, elevation, building retrofits, and floodproofing.

	Allows in-kind services to contribute toward nonfederal cost share requirements
	Requires a Presidential Disaster Declaration

Application cycle: Communities can apply for this program for up to 15 months after a Major Presidential Disaster Declaration, and may request an extension of up to 240 days. 

Summary: Communities located in states or territories that receive a Major Presidential Disaster Declaration and are looking to reduce the impact of future debilitating events are a good fit for FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). HMGP provides funding during the reconstruction process following a disaster for risk-reduction activities that improve resilience and provide a long-term solution to problems associated with flooding and natural hazards.

Eligible applicants: Emergency management agencies of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, federally-recognized Tribal governments; subapplicants can receive an award through an applicant to carry out the HMGP and include state agencies, local governments, federally-recognized Tribal governments, and private nonprofit organizations operating a facility that provides an essential government service.

Eligible activities: Hazard mitigation plan development; acquisition and structure demolition or relocation; dry floodproofing; structural retrofitting; stormwater infrastructure; or community safe rooms. HMGP Post Fire can also provide assistance to mitigate potential flooding, erosion, and mudflows after wildfires.

• Capability- and capacity-building: New plan creation and plan updates, planning-related activities, project-scoping and advance assistance, technical assistance, partnerships, and codes and standards
• Mitigation projects: Property acquisition, structure elevation, mitigation reconstruction, flood risk reduction, stabilization, floodproofing, tsunami vertical elevation, safe room, wildfire mitigation, retrofit, secondary power source, warning systems, and aquifer recharge, storage and recovery
• Management costs: Indirect costs, direct administration costs, and other administrative expenses associated with the administration of the HMGP.

Funding: The amount of funding available for HMGP is based on the total assistance provided under the disaster declaration. Awardees typically receive an equivalent between 7.5% and 15% of the total disaster assistance to be used for the HMGP program.

Cost share:75% federal / 25% nonfederal; nonfederal cost share may include funds from a combination of sources, including states, local governments, property owners, or other third parties providing contributions.

• FEMA provides 100% federal cost share for management costs.
• The non-federal cost share requirement of 25% does not need to be met entirely by the sub-applicant alone, and can be met through a combination of sources. 
• Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage is available to most policyholders of the National Flood Insurance Program and can be included in the non-federal cost share.

Application process: 

• For information on applying, visit this page or search by CFDA number 97.039.
• HMGP is authorized through a major disaster declaration, which can be requested by a governor or tribal chief executive.
• The award period of performance for HMGP begins with the opening of the application period, and ends no later than 48 months from the close of the application period
• Applicants must have a FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plan.
• Recipients are required to prepare an HMGP Administrative Plan, which must be approved by FEMA. This plan is a procedural guide that details how the recipient will administer HMGP awards.
• Freely available data from FEMA’s National Risk Index (NRI) can be included in and used to bolster a community’s project grant application. The NRI is a tool that calculates a risk index figure for each county for various types of disasters.
• If the project is located in a designated Special Flood Hazard Area, the community must be a participating member of the National Flood Insurance Program.