The money is available through the 2023 Swift Current funding opportunity, which resulted from the Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative that makes available up to $295 million for the chosen 16 states and one Tribal Nation that were eligible.
The Justice40 initiative's goal is to provide 40 percent of the total investments to disadvantaged communities. The law provides for more equitable access to mitigation grants by increasing the amount the federal government pays to above the standard 75 percent of costs. It also includes pre-tailored support for the disadvantaged communities that sometimes struggle to meet the challenges of making up the remaining cost of flood recovery.
“Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we were able to extend additional funding to help flood-prone communities as they continue to grapple with the climate crisis,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said in a statement.
“Michigan and Washington now join the 16 states and Tribal Nation we announced in April that will receive faster access to these valuable flooding mitigation grants,” she added.
FEMA will continue to distribute funding until the $295 million is gone. Applications must meet the Swift Current activation criteria, including having had a major declaration for a flooding event after June 1 of last year through May 31, 2024.
The Swift Current program is supposed to get funding where it’s needed as soon as possible after a flood-related disaster to help localities implement upgrades to reduce flood risk.
