On April 4, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the end of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program due to limited impactful results and the disbursement of funds to a limited applicant pool. As the program concludes, the U.S. government will no longer accept applications or award appropriated Fiscal Year 2024 funds. Further, it will return to the federal government all Fiscal Year 2020-2023 funds not distributed to states or local governments.

FEMA will work with current BRIC recipients on outstanding projects. Current recipients will be able to complete fully obligated projects that have started construction and will be able to expend all associated funds. FEMA will also obligate management costs related to partially or fully obligated projects. It will not approve funds for projects that have not started construction.

FEMA says grant recipients with phased projects must determine the appropriate stopping point, whether after the present phase or at another stage. Extensions of project deadlines will be limited. FEMA will cancel selected BRIC projects without obligated funds between Fiscal Years 2020-2023.

The organization said it is working to develop a new approach to mitigation that is more responsive to state and local requirements, achieves clear mitigation goals, and results in more timely funding obligations.

FEMA estimates that approximately $882 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (the law that authorized the BRIC grant program) will be returned to the U.S. Treasury or reapportioned by Congress in the next fiscal year. More than $3.6 billion will remain in the Disaster Relief Fund to assist with disaster response and recovery.

The BRIC program awarded $30.8 million for selected Kentucky projects - $2.4 million is obligated. You can find a list of BRIC projects here.

Cities with questions can reach out to Kentucky’s FEMA Regional Office.