FEMA to Reinstate BRIC Climate Resiliency Grants After Court Orders
March 23, 2026 · 2 min read
Jared Klein
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced on March 20 that it plans to reinstate its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, the federal government's primary grant vehicle for climate resiliency projects. The reversal comes after multiple court orders forced the agency to release previously frozen awards.
How the BRIC Program Was Frozen — and Unfrozen
FEMA had canceled the BRIC program nationwide in 2025, freezing billions in existing awards and halting new competitions. In North Carolina alone, $200 million in previously approved grants were locked up, stalling projects ranging from wastewater treatment flood protection in Hickory to a water pump station relocation in Hillsborough.
A federal court in December 2025 ordered FEMA to pay out the awards it had already committed. When the agency failed to comply for months, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson and attorneys general from 19 other states filed a successful motion to compel fund distribution. FEMA now says it will "fully resume programmatic support for BRIC awards" and publish a new funding opportunity.
What Communities Should Do Now
Despite FEMA's announcement, no funds have actually been distributed yet, and a partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown could further delay implementation. Communities with frozen BRIC awards should contact their FEMA regional office to confirm the status of existing grants. Organizations planning new applications should monitor FEMA's Notices of Funding Opportunities page for the anticipated new competition.
The BRIC reinstatement is a significant win for the 20 states that pursued legal action, but the gap between announcement and disbursement remains a real concern. Local governments that budgeted around BRIC funding have been operating in limbo for over a year. Projects designed to protect infrastructure against floods, wildfires, and extreme weather events sat idle while communities absorbed the costs of inaction.
Grant seekers navigating FEMA's shifting program landscape can track updates and analysis at grantedai.com. In-depth analysis of the BRIC reinstatement and its implications for climate resilience funding is available on the Granted blog.