WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it was making $1 billion available in grant funding for its annual Building Resilience Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program as part of its long-awaited Fiscal Year 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The BuildStrong Coalition applauds the agency for its commitment to enhancing community resilience and disaster preparedness through the inclusion of funding for building codes for states and territories as part of the program. However, FEMA’s allocation of $2 billion less in BRIC funding this year than in the previous year, despite the program itself being oversubscribed four-fold, is discouraging.
“BuildStrong wholeheartedly supports FEMA’s efforts to promote and strengthen building codes across the nation, given the critical role enhanced codes play in disaster resilience,” said Dr. Natalie Enclade, the Coalition’s Executive Director. “Though the drop in funding is disappointing, especially considering how taxed BRIC already is, we remain ready to work alongside the agency and our partner organizations to achieve the goals made possible through the program.”
BuildStrong has long called for the BRIC Program to set aside funding for the adoption and enforcement of building codes. This multi-million-dollar allocation of funds underscores FEMA’s dedication to ensuring that communities across the nation are better equipped to withstand and recover from natural disasters and other emergencies. By investing in the development, adoption, and enforcement of modern building codes, FEMA is proactively addressing one of the key components of disaster preparedness.
FEMA’s announcement of the FY23 NOFO can be found here.
