Find archived resources to help interpret federal statutes, regulations and best practices about mitigation strategies.
FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs provide funding for eligible mitigation activities that reduce disaster losses and protect life and property from future disaster damages. This includes:
In alignment with the Executive Order 14030 Climate-Related Financial Risk, which seeks to strengthen the state of nationwide resilience, FEMA is partially implementing the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) for Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Programs. It applies to federally-funded mitigation projects and sets elevation requirements for structures in floodplains —requiring them to either be elevated or floodproofed (only allowable for non-residential structures). This policy (FEMA Policy FP-206-21-0003-0001) supersedes the 2021 policy FP-206-21-003. This partial implementation covers non-critical and critical action structure elevation requirements for HMA-funded mitigation projects. It also describes requirements for new construction, substantially improved and substantially damaged structures.
This policy was effective from December 7, 2020 through March 22, 2023.
In alignment with the Executive Order 14030 Climate-Related Financial Risk, which seeks to strengthen the state of nationwide resilience, FEMA is partially implementing the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) for Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Programs. It applies to federally-funded mitigation projects and sets elevation requirements for structures in floodplains —requiring them to either be elevated or floodproofed (only allowable for non-residential structures). This policy (FEMA Policy FP-206-21-0003-0001) supersedes the 2021 policy FP-206-21-003. This partial implementation covers non-critical and critical action structure elevation requirements for HMA-funded mitigation projects. It also describes requirements for new construction, substantially improved and substantially damaged structures.
This policy was effective from December 7, 2020 through March 22, 2023.
This document supplements the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Guidance by providing direction on the Program Administration by States provision in the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act, Section 1104(b).
This guidance was effective from October 1, 2017 through March 22, 2023.
The purpose of this policy clarification is to implement policy changes in Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) programs based on requirements related to houses of worship established in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Public Law No: 115-123) (BBA). The policy changes are as follows: (1) HMA will include a house of worship in the definition of a private nonprofit (PNP), distinct from other PNPs such as community centers; (2) a house of worship, with properly documented PNP status, will be eligible to receive HMGP funding as a subapplicant; (3) HMA will fund eligible mitigation activities for a house of worship, as it would for any eligible PNP facility, including retrofitting and elevation which primarily benefit the house of worship; and, (4) the definition of a private nonprofit organization (or facility) in the HMA Guidance (2015) at Part III.B (in box) and Part VIII.A.6 is changed from “essential governmental service(s)” to “essential social service(s)”.
This policy clarification was effective from May 3, 2018 through March 22, 2023.
This policy clarification explains when previously demolished structures may be eligible for Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant-funded projects.
This policy clarification was effective from August 26, 2019 through March 22, 2023.
FEMA Policy FP-108-024-02: This policy allows for ecosystem service benefits to be included in a mitigation project’s Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA) regardless of the Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR). Ecosystem service benefits are positive effects provided to people by nature, such as aesthetic value, air quality, recreation space, and water filtration.
By removing the previous BCR threshold, ecosystem service benefits can be used for all project types eligible under the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) and Public Assistance (PA) 406 mitigation programs that support the incorporation of ecosystem service benefits and result in the improvement of the natural environment.
This policy was effective from September 28, 2020 through March 22, 2023.
FEMA Policy FP-206-21-0003
This interim policy partially implements the FFRMS by requiring the use of higher flood elevations established by the FFRMS Freeboard Value Approach (FVA) for certain non-critical actions involving structures in the base floodplain (Special Flood Hazard Area).Under this interim policy, the FFRMS FVA will be utilized to determine the minimum flood protection elevation for certain project types. This interim policy applies to all HMA programs.
This policy was effective from August 27, 2021 through December 6, 2022.
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) policy establishes the framework and requirements for the program while allowing flexibility to promote continuous program improvement through priorities and criteria set forth in the annual Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The BRIC program is designed to promote a national culture of preparedness and public safety through encouraging investments to protect the nation’s communities and infrastructure and through strengthening national mitigation capabilities to foster resilience.
This policy was effective from February 14, 2022 through March 22, 2023.
Information Bulletin (01-2022-HMA) amends the language in the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance, dated February 27, 2015 (hereinafter HMA Guidance), which states that consent by “all parties” is required for grant termination.
This information bulletin explains that “all parties” refers to two parties when FEMA and the recipient agree to terminate the grant and does not include the subrecipient. With this bulletin, FEMA wants to better ensure that grant termination under HMA programs and implemented under the HMA Guidance are consistent with the requirements in 2 C.F.R. § 200.340(a)(3).
This information bulletin was effective from April 8, 2022 through March 22, 2023.
This addendum supplements the information provided in the HMA Guidance.
This guidance was effective from February 27, 2015 through March 22, 2023.
This guidance applies to HMGP disasters declared on or after February 27, 2015, unless indicated otherwise. This guidance is also applicable to the PDM and FMA program.
This guidance was effective from February 27, 2015 through March 22, 2023
The purpose of this policy is to provide HMA program guidance on the compatibility of subsurface hydraulic fracturing and horizontal directional drilling (hydraulic fracturing/HDD) uses occurring on or under properties acquired for open space with HMA funds. This policy was effective from July 6, 2017 through March 22, 2023.
The PA Management Costs Interim Policy implements Section 1215 of the DRRA and provides greater flexibility to state, tribal, territorial and local governments to manage the PA Program. FEMA will evaluate this Interim Policy as it is implemented and will update the management costs policy in the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide. This policy applies to all major disasters declared on or after August 1, 2017 through March 22, 2023.
This policy updates the eligibility of flood risk reduction measures under the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) programs. This policy was effective from June 27, 2014 through March 22, 2023.
This policy establishes the framework and requirements to implement HMGP Post Fire. This policy was effective for FMAG declarations issued on or after October 5, 2018 through March 22, 2023.
The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Frequently Asked Questions address questions received from stakeholder engagements regarding the implementation of Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Management Costs (Interim) Policy #104-11-1 (Interim Policy). This guidance was effective from February 28, 2020 through March 22, 2023.
