FEMA Suspends Key Pre-Disaster Mitigation Funding

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton issued a memorandum suspending funding for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. The action stops $750 million in planned grants for FY25.

The move comes amid a previously announced review of previous BRIC grants for consistently with recent Executive Orders. According to a FEMA dashboard, only about one-quarter of more than $6 billion in hazard mitigation grants are fully obligated.

BRIC, established by Congress in 2020, has become a major source of funding for states and local governments for projects aimed at reducing the costs and impacts from natural disasters. BRIC grants can cover as much as 75 percent of total project costs, so funding disruptions can have significant impacts on local projects.

According to Acting Administrator Hamilton, the agency will be providing "new direction" for the BRIC program. It is not immediately clear whether new guidance will eventually lead to the issuance of FY25 funding or if the funding is being permanently canceled or re-directed in some way. Future guidance is likely to reduce the program's emphasis on climate change, equity impacts, and the role of state and local government in addressing hazard mitigation.

In the near term, the action puts many existing BRIC grants into limbo with ongoing reviews occurring and future grants into a period of uncertainty. Administration officials have broadly criticized FEMA and suggested devolving many hazard-related responsibilities to the states. Congress will have an opportunity to weigh in on future BRIC funding as part of the FY26 appropriations process.