FEMA unveils $150 million for Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund Program

Key Takeaways

On December 19, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the second round of funding for the Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) as part of its 2024 “Year of Resilience” initiative. This program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (P.L. 117-58), offers capitalization grants to nationwide applicants. These funds empower applicants to provide low-interest loans directly to local communities, enhancing community resilience against natural hazards.

Program highlights include:

• Uniquely addresses extreme heat, allowing loan funds for projects mitigating drought and intense heat. No benefit-cost analysis is required, offering flexibility in project implementation.
• Encourages a broad spectrum of projects, from natural hazard mitigation to zoning changes and modern building code adoption. Funds can also be used by local governments to satisfy non-federal cost-share requirements for other FEMA hazard mitigation grant programs.
• Champions transformative projects for our nation's most at-risk, under resourced and disadvantaged communities.
• Assist more communities in fortification against extreme heat, drought, wildfires, floods, and hurricanes through increased grant funding, tripling the amount of money available in the first round.
• Eligible Project Requirements Include:
  • Increasing the resilience of major economic sectors or critical national infrastructure and reducing the risk of harm to natural and built infrastructure.
  • Involving a partnership between two or more eligible entities.
  • Accounting for the regional impacts of hazards.

Application details:

Applicants eligible to receive revolving loan capitalization grants include states, the District of Columbia, territories, and federally recognized tribes that have received a major disaster declaration. Local governments may use the low-interest loans for projects and activities to reduce the effects of natural hazards.

The funding opportunities for Fiscal Year 2024 Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Revolving Loan Fund Program are available on Grants.gov. The application period opens on February 1 and closes at 3:00pm ET on April 30. Eligible applicants must apply via Grants.gov.