A federal program that provides funding to support hazard mitigation projects has reopened and local governments may again submit proposals, according to Michigan State Police.

The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program supports hazard mitigation projects designed to reduce or eliminate future property damage and loss of life from natural hazards, including floods, tornadoes and severe storms.

The program prioritizes infrastructure and construction projects that deliver measurable risk reduction and strengthen community resilience, said Col. James F. Grady II, director of MSP and state director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.

“BRIC funding provides communities the opportunity to take proactive steps to reduce risk before disaster strikes,” Grady stated in a news release.

The announcement came after a recent federal court order requiring the restoration of the BRIC program. In December 2025, a federal court ruled termination of the congressionally mandated program was unlawful.

On March 6, the court granted further relief, ordering the Federal Emergency Management Agency to restore billions of dollars in disaster mitigation funding after a lawsuit brought by a coalition of 23 states, including Michigan. The coalition first sued in July 2025 after FEMA terminated the program, a move states said delayed, scaled back or canceled hundreds of mitigation projects across the country.

“Every dollar FEMA spends on mitigation saves $6 in post-disaster costs,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in the news release. “By securing these court orders, we’ve cleared the way for critical BRIC funding to flow back into our state, allowing the Michigan State Police to resume the work of fortifying our communities against natural disasters. I look forward to seeing the life-saving impact of this next round of proposals.”

Over the past several years, FEMA has selected nearly 2,000 projects nationwide totaling approximately $4.5 billion in BRIC funding. In Michigan, 22 projects have been selected in recent years, totaling more than $19 million in federal funding.

The MSP/EMHSD coordinates emergency preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation activities across the state, working with local, tribal, state and federal partners.

For fiscal year 2025, BRIC funding includes three categories —

— Hazard Mitigation Projects: Nationally competitive funding for cost-effective infrastructure and construction projects designed to increase resilience and public safety and reduce damage to property and critical facilities. Only projects with at least a conceptual design are eligible; phased projects are not eligible.

— Building Code Plus-Up: Funding to support the adoption and enforcement of current hazard-resistant building codes, including evaluation, adoption and workforce development activities related to building codes.

— State Allocation Funding: Funding available to each state for smaller-scale hazard mitigation projects and project scoping for future infrastructure mitigation efforts.

Most grants are funded with a 75% federal share and a 25% non-federal match. The MSP/EMHSD serves as the applicant for the State of Michigan. Eligible subapplicants include state agencies, federally recognized tribal governments and local governments.

As reported by Center Square, the latest court order requires FEMA to make pre-disaster mitigation funds available as required by statute, communicate the status of current BRIC projects to states and submit status reports to the court outlining any actions taken to comply.

FEMA had claimed in April 2025 that BRIC funding resulted “in a lack of concrete results” with the majority of funding being awarded to only a few states.

For more on hazard mitigation assistance in Michigan, go to https://www.michigan.gov/msp/divisions/emhsd/grant-programs/hma/hazard-mitigation-assistance.

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Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85226, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.