FEMA opens nearly $1B in disaster preparedness grants after internal review

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WASHINGTON — Just one week after CNN revealed a proposed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) directive to cut key disaster preparedness programs , the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced nearly $1 billion in funding for such efforts.

FEMA is now accepting applications for more than a dozen grant programs, offering nearly $1 billion in funding to communities nationwide, according to an Aug. 1 notice from FEMA . The grants close on Aug. 15.

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“This announcement comes after a critical evaluation of all grant programs and recipients to root out waste, fraud, and abuse and deliver accountability for the American taxpayer,” the notice states. “Unlike the previous administration, recipients of grants will no longer be permitted to use federal funds to house illegal immigrants at luxury hotels, fund climate change pet projects or empower radical organizations with unseemly ties that don’t serve the interest of the American people.”

In a statement to CNN , the DHS confirmed the decision to release the funding and maintained that it had not reversed course.

According to DHS, the release follows a comprehensive review of the grant programs intended to support states in preparing for a range of emergencies, including natural disasters such as wildfires, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, as well as incidents involving terrorism or significant cyber disruptions.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revised the National Priority Areas to ensure that grant funds are efficiently and effectively used to secure the nation and protect Americans, according to FEMA. The National Priority Areas in 2025 are:

1. Protecting soft targets and crowded places, including election sites
2. Supporting Homeland Security Task Forces and fusion centers
3. Cybersecurity
4. Election security, including verifying that poll workers are U.S. citizens
5. Supporting border crisis response and enforcement
   
   

Available grants include:

• Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) Urban Area Security Initiative
• Port Security Grant Program
• Transit Security Grant Program
• State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program
• Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program
• Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program
• Emergency Food and Shelter Program
• Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program
• Intercity Passenger Rail
• Intercity Bus Security Grant Program
• National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium
• Continuing Training Grant Program
• Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence
• National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Multistate and National Earthquake Assistance
• State Fire Training Assistance

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