BRIC is Back

After months of legal battles and political debate, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has brought back the BRIC program. A total of $1 billion is available through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program for projects that help communities prepare for natural disasters. The program supports efforts like flood control, wildfire mitigation, and infrastructure hardening, investments widely shown to reduce long-term disaster recovery costs and save lives.

The reinvestment in the program follows last year’s abrupt cancellation under the Trump administration, a move that froze billions in planned projects and drew bipartisan criticism. A federal court ultimately ordered the program restored, pushing FEMA to resume funding.

Not Without Changes

However, the program’s return comes with notable changes. The new rules that come with the program shift more responsibility to state and local governments. They also prioritize “shovel-ready” infrastructure projects and eliminate some forms of technical assistance. While these adjustments aim to streamline funding and emphasize local control, they may pose challenges for smaller, rural communities with limited capacity.

At the same time, FEMA has introduced measures intended to broaden access. They’ve set funding caps and prepared additional consideration for first-time applicants and lower-income areas. These tweaks could help address past concerns that the program favored larger or coastal states. Rural communities will have more of a fighting chance to obtain BRIC funding through the new regulations.

The Stakes are High

The stakes are high. As billion-dollar disasters become more frequent, research continues to show that proactive investment can have a significant impact. The question now is whether the revised BRIC program can strike the right balance between efficiency, equity, and local readiness in an era of increasing risk and increasing cost.

The application period is open, apply now!