Biden Announces Nearly $2B in Funding to Increase Climate Resilience Nationwide
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Federal Emergency and Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell and White House Infrastructure Coordinator and Senior Advisor to the President Mitch Landrieu have announced that FEMA is making $1.8 billion in grant program funding available to aid in increasing community resilience to climate change imapcts which include the increasingly frequent and extreme weather related events.
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) annual grant program is for projects that protect people and infrastructure from natural hazards and the effects of climate change, with $1 billion in funding made available for projects addressing such. $800 million is available for projects that mitigate flood risks facing homes and communities nationwide. This is all due to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
According to FEMA, since taking office, President Biden has continued to provide additional funding to FEMA’s annual resilience grant programs, increasing them from $700 million when he took office to $1.8 billion for FY 23. This increased funding allows FEMA to expand its geographic scope in funding selections and protect more of our nation’s communities that are most in harm’s way from the effects of climate change and extreme weather. Overall, the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides FEMA nearly $7 billion to help communities proactively reduce their vulnerability to flood, hurricanes, drought, wildfires, extreme heat and other climate-fueled hazards.
“Across this country, communities are getting hit by more frequent and extreme severe weather events – from drought, wildfires, floods and extreme heat,” said Senior Advisor to the President and White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu. “That’s exactly why under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we’re delivering the largest investment in the resilience of physical and natural systems in American history. Today’s announcement is part of the President’s commitment to keep every American safe and ensure that we are building back better than ever before.”
