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1 [1] (November 1, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/govereh0001 and id is 1 raw text is: a Congressional Research Service Informing the legislative debate since 1914 November 1, 2024 Connecting Grantseekers with Federal Assistance for Storm Shelters and Safe Rooms This In Focus describes selected federal assistance programs available to state, local, and tribal governments; nonprofit organizations; educational institutions; and property owners interested in building a safe room or storm shelter (or adding one to an existing structure) to protect themselves from extreme weather events such as tornadoes and hurricanes. Many federal grant funds are first awarded to state and local governments through various formula grant or block grant programs. Sub-awards to other entities may be available from the primary recipient. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact federal, state, and local agencies for information on the types and availability of assistance and funding, eligibility requirements, application process, and award cycles. The following programs vary in scope and funding level and are not a comprehensive list of all potentially relevant programs for a given project. Funding levels for the programs listed below vary, and assistance availability depends on appropriations, as well as other factors that may be agency- or program-specific. Grantseekers may also find the following CRS reports helpful: CRS Report RL34012, Resourcesfor Grantseekers, and CRS Report RL32159, How to Develop and Write a Grant Proposal. CRS reports are also available to the public at crsreports.congress.gov/. Assistance for Governments and Non profit Orgamizations Federa Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) The Federal Emergency Management Agency notes that all safe rooms are storm shelters but not all storm shelters are safe rooms. FEMA differentiates between the two in a 2023 fact sheet: Safe rooms are hardened structures specifically designed to provide near-absolute protection in extreme wind events, including tornadoes and hurricanes. To be considered a safe room, the structure must be designed and constructed to the guidelines specified in FEMA Publication 361, Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidancefor Community and Residential Safe Rooms. Storm shelters are buildings, structures, or portions thereof that a building operator designates for use during tornadoes, hurricanes, and other severe windstorms. Storm shelters are specifically designed to meet the criteria described in the latest published edition of the International Code Council's (ICC's) and National Storm Shelter Association's (NSSA's) ICC/NSSA Standardfor Design and Construction of Storm Shelters (2020 ICC 500). HazardMitigation Assistance FEMA administers three hazard mitigation grant programs and one loan program, collectively referred to as Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA). Community safe rooms or shelters might potentially be funded under three of these HMA programs: * Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program; * Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP); and * Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund Program. These programs are available for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and to some private nonprofits (see Summary ofFEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Programs, Table 2: Eligibility for Application Submission for Applications/Subapplicants) for eligible projects that reduce disaster losses, including community and residential safe rooms and storm shelters. Funds awarded by FEMA are administered at the state level. To determine if a project is eligible for HMA grants, the FEMA State Hazard Mitigation Officer (SHMO) should be contacted. In general, FEMA pays up to 75% of eligible costs through its grant programs, though this may vary (see Summary of FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Programs, Table 1: Cost Share Requirements). All applicants must have a FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plan. For more information about HMA, see CRS Insight IN 11187, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance. Additional FEMA Resources * FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants Helpline may be useful for those who have questions about safe room funding: 1-866-222-3580. * FEMA's Safe Roomsfor Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms (FEMA P-361, 4h ed., April 2021) presents guidance about the planning, design, construction, and operation of safe rooms. * FEMA's Taking Shelterfrom the Storm: Building or Installing a Safe Roomfor your Home presents the criteria for residential safe rooms and addresses how to design and construct a safe room for a one- or two-

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