New York State to Ease Burden on Local Governments Eligible for FEMA's Public Assistance Program in Central New York, Finger Lakes, Long Island, Mid-Hudson, New York City and Southern Tier Regions by Covering Non-Federal Cost Share
Additionally, Governor Hochul Reminds Local Governments Impacted by Ida and Fred Have Until June 1 to Apply For Hazard Mitigation Funding
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced New York State will fully cover the required non-federal share of FEMA's Public Assistance program for local governments impacted by Tropical Storm Isaias, Tropical Storm Fred and Hurricane Ida, all which brought devastating flooding impacts to New York in the last two years. This funding is essential to delivering projects which help local governments rebuild public infrastructure, easing the financial burden placed on the municipalities working to recover.
"We know all too well how much damage storms like Isaias, Fred and Ida brought upon our state in the last two years, and today we're announcing New York will cover the non-federal share for FEMA's Public Assistance program," Governor Hochul said. "This significant step will help ease the burden on local governments planning to apply for this critical funding, and will help rebuild publicly-owned infrastructure. As our climate changes and heavy storms continue to happen more frequently, we will continue to do everything we can to help New Yorkers and their communities recover following extreme weather events."
Following a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration, impacted counties are eligible to receive relief funding in the form of Public Assistance and/or Individual Assistance. Public Assistance supports the efforts of local governments to rebuild damaged infrastructure and facilities, while Individual Assistance is direct funding to home and business owners. Once projects are approved and completed, the federal government typically reimburses the project sponsor up to 75 percent of costs, while the recipient is required to cover the remaining 25 percent. This also applies to the federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which provides funding to localities to strengthen the long term resiliency of their communities.
In March, Congress passed and President Biden signed H.R. 2471, which increased the federal share of reimbursement to 90 percent for projects resulting from major disasters declared between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021 in order to provide relief to states and localities already grappling with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
New York State was impacted by three federally-declared disasters during this time period:
- Tropical Storm Isaias in August 2020
- The Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred in August 2021
- The Remnants of Hurricane Ida in September 2021
To further ease that burden, Governor Hochul is assuring local governments that New York State will fully fund the non-federal share of projects eligible for FEMA's Public Assistance program.
Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, "Our mission is to help local communities throughout the State recover following a disaster. The Governor's decision to fully fund the non-federal share for disaster relief eases the financial burden on local governments impacted by these terrible storms. Our team will continue working with local communities to ensure they get the funding they need to rebuild and to protect themselves against future weather events. We are proud to support communities in this recovery process."
Representative Adriano Espaillat said, "Recent natural disasters exacerbated by climate change have tested and exemplified the resiliency of our New York communities. I commend Governor Hochul on today's announcement to allocate funding to local communities to aid in their recovery following these disasters. Together, we will help our communities rebuild stronger, starting at the local level and prioritizing the communities most in need, and ensure New Yorkers can continue to enjoy reliable public infrastructure in the wake of these storms."
The Governor is also reminding localities that the state's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) is currently accepting applications to access Hazard Mitigation Grant funding available to local governments impacted by Tropical Storm Fred and Hurricane Ida.
DHSES will review applications and provide technical assistance to applicants upon request. The deadline to apply is June 1, 2022. More information on how to apply for funding and the HMGP process can be found at: https://www.dhses.ny.gov/hazard-mitigation
About the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services provides leadership, coordination, and support to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate disasters and other emergencies. For more information, find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or visit our website.