Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) is sponsored by U.S. Department of Homeland Security / FEMA. The HMGP provides funding to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to develop hazard mitigation plans and implement projects that reduce the effects of future natural disasters. This funding is available after a Presidential Disaster Declaration.

Disaster Hazard Mitigation Grants | NC DPS Disaster Hazard Mitigation Grants Hazard Mitigation Grant Program The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is a FEMA-funded program designed to reduce or eliminate future damages and loss following a disaster. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is federally funded but managed by the North Carolina Emergency Management.

HMGP can potentially help with mitigation methods such as structure elevation, structural reinforcement and the buyout of damaged properties. List of Helene HM Application Submissions Homeowner Application Tips: The first step in this process is completing an application and collecting the information needed to assess your project.

When you sign the homeowner’s application, please ensure all owners shown on the property deed have signed the application. FEMA will not approve it unless all parties listed on the deed have signed the application. Along with the Homeowner Application you will need to collect the following items for consideration: Flood Insurance information (if available) including past claims.

Photos of the property (front, back, each side and 1 street view) - Photo Instructions Frequently Asked Questions (Acquisitions) : Property Owners Frequently Asked Questions (Acquisitions) : Property Owners If I begin the buyout process, can I change my mind and keep my property? Yes, buyouts are completely voluntary, and you can change your mind at any time before closing. Is my property eligible for a buyout?

A range of properties – including residential, commercial, developed, vacant, listed or not currently on the market – are potentially eligible, depending on their location relative to mapped flood zones and other indications of hazard risk. NCEM works with towns and interested property owners to assess a property's potential buyout eligibility. Do I need to have suffered flooding or landslide damage?

While properties must have risk of flooding or landslide, they do not need to have been previously damaged. NCEM will provide assistance in determining flood risk. I recently suffered flood damage, does that affect a possible buyout?

Properties recently damaged by flooding can be appraised at their pre-event value (see below). If you received any federal funding following damages from this event (e.g., flood insurance payments or Individual Assistance (IA)), save all documents and receipts. Any questions regarding use of insurance or IA payments should be directed to your insurer or FEMA, respectively.

How is my property’s value determined? Property owners receive full market value, as determined by a third-party appraiser. The property can either be appraised at current market value or, if the property has recently been damaged by a flood or landslide, at its pre-event value.

For instance, if your property was damaged by the July flooding, an appraiser can assess the value of the property on the day before the flooding and this can serve as the sale price. Property owners not satisfied with the appraisal can appeal and hire their own appraiser or choose to withdraw from the process. Are there costs to the property owner?

The funding covers an appraisal, legal fees and title work for the closing, purchase of the property, and demolition of the structure. Funding can also include assistance for tenants if there are full-time renters. Property owners can choose to use their own accredited appraiser or counsel at their own expense.

What is the application process and timeline? As part of the application process, property owners will then be asked to complete and sign the PSI Application (linked to attached Homeowner Application From) providing information on the property. The town will then submit the application for the buyout grant.

Once an application is submitted, it can take many months to be processed. Tasks like the appraisal and title search occur after the grant is awarded. The property owner is free to withdraw from the process at any time prior to closing.

What happens to my property after it’s sold? Towns are required to maintain acquired properties as public open green space once all structures have been removed or relocated. Keeping the property as open green space not only gets people out of harm’s way but can also enhances community resilience.

The green space can serve as additional floodplain and keep flood waters away from neighbors. Getting started: Interested property owners should: 1. Complete the Homeowner Interest Form.

2. Complete and submit the PSI application as directed in the follow-up email you will receive from an NCEM Development Team Member. Who Is Eligible to Apply?

The local government is the eligible applicant for this program. After the initial homeowner intake, our team works with the local governments (county or town) to complete the application and fully understand the grant program and timeframe. What Type of Project Is Eligible for Funding?

Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to: Retrofitting methods such as elevation in place Acquisition of property and/or relocation of homes, businesses, and public facilities. Structural hazard control or protection measures such as flood walls, detention basins and other storm drainage upgrades. Generators that protect critical facilities such as shelters, hospitals and emergency response locations.

(funding limited) Projects that mitigate the risk of a natural hazard to public infrastructure. The process for applying for HMGP funds begins at the county level with each county’s Emergency Manager. The county alone determines which eligible mitigation projects will be placed on their project priority list.

They use this list to track and organize projects from across their county that they want to submit for funding consideration for the HMGP. If you would like to request that an eligible mitigation project be added to your county’s project priority list, then please use the county contact list to get in touch with them.

Frequently Asked Questions (Acquisitions): Town, City, or County Officials Frequently Asked Questions (Acquisitions): Town, City, or County Officials What properties are eligible within my town? A range of residential or commercial properties may be eligible for one of multiple grant programs managed by NCEM.

Factors such as whether the property is developed, within a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, and under a certain cost threshold will determine which program is the best fit. NCEM will help towns determine potential eligibility and program fit. What is the cost to the town?

No local match is required for buyout grants under a disaster. Grants cover all allowable buyout costs, including any required environmental or archeology assessments, the appraisal, title search and closing document development, property purchase, demolition and debris removal, capping utilities, and final site work. How does the town manage the buyout grant?

The town works with interested property owners and NCEM to complete an application. Once a grant is awarded, the town/county uses grant funds to procure an appraiser and conduct other pre-purchase tasks. After closing and the purchase of the property, the town uses grant funds to procure contractors for demolition and site work.

The town tracks expenditures and provides quarterly reports to NCEM. If the town/county opts into the State Centric Program , the state handles all of these tasks and fronted expenses. What do we do with the property once acquired?

Properties acquired with a buyout grant must be maintained as public open green space once all structures have been removed or relocated. No new structures can be built on the property, but towns are free to use the space as a pocket park or to provide public river access.

The local government is responsible for ongoing routine maintenance of the property such as keeping the vacant land clear of debris and garbage ( see FEMA HMA Guidance: Part 12. B. 1.

Property Acquisition for Open Space ). How long does the buyout process take? Once an application is submitted, it can take anywhere from a few months to over two years for it to be processed.

Tasks like the appraisal, property purchase, and demolition occur after the grant is awarded. FEMA Region 4 is responsible for the speed of the approval process. Getting Started: Towns should reach out to one of the Development Team members below to learn more about the application process or download PSI Application .

Advance Assistance Applications: An Advance Assistance application under FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides funding to help communities develop a specific, shovel-ready mitigation project. Eligible uses include preliminary engineering, environmental review, cost estimating, and benefit-cost analysis—but the application must clearly identify the specific mitigation construction project it is intended to support.

Advance Assistance does not fund construction itself, but it strengthens and expedites future HMGP construction applications. Development Team Contacts: Steve McGugan, State Hazard Mitigation Officer Steve. McGugan@ncdps.

gov Steven Jackson, Deputy HM Section Chief Steven. Jackson@ncdps. gov Jason Pleasant, Development Supervisor Jason.

Pleasant@ncdps. gov Kaine Riggan, Infrastructure Lead, Kaine. Riggan@ncdps.

gov Portia Baldwin, Grants Development Specialist, Portia. Baldwin@ncdps. gov Jennifer Lewis, Grants Development Specialist, Jennifer.

Lewis@ncdps. gov