Today Commissioner George P. Bush announced the launch of the Texas General Land Office’s (GLO) Local Hazard Mitigation Plans Program (LHMPP), which will provide $25,000,000 in grants to assist eligible entities develop or update local hazard mitigation plans, or to provide cost share for hazard mitigation planning activities funded through other federal sources. Applicants can apply at recovery.texas.gov/lhmpp.
“Knowledge of existing vulnerabilities and planning to prevent risks at the local level can help minimize the loss of life and property damage due to disasters,” said Commissioner George P. Bush. “Maintaining updated hazard mitigation plans and developing long-term strategies for protecting our communities is a vital function of local and state government, but funding is often lacking. The GLO’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plans Program will help at-risk communities identify vulnerabilities and mitigate against future disaster damage to better protect Texas residents.”
LHMPP is funded through the Community Development Block Grant – Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Hazard Mitigation Plan development and approval oversight will be administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and implemented through the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). Grant awards will range from $20,000 - $100,000. Application intake will begin July 28, 2021, and be processed for eligibility on a first-come, first-served basis until funding is exhausted or July 2027, whichever comes first.
All applicants must satisfy the following basic federal requirements to be eligible for grant funding:
- Be federally declared eligible counties or ZIP codes from the following disasters as listed in the State of Texas CDBG-MIT Action Plan:
- Hurricane Harvey - DR-4332 (August 2017), eligibility map
- 2015 Floods - DR-4223 (May 29, 2015) and DR-4245 (November 25, 2015), eligibility map
- 2016 Floods - DR-4272 (June 11, 2016), DR-4269 (April 25, 2016), and DR-4266 (March 19 , 2016), eligibility map
- Meet FEMA’s definition of a local government as per 44 CFR 201.2, which states:
“Local government is any county, municipality, city, town, township, public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments (regardless of whether the council of governments is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law), regional or interstate government entity, or agency or instrumentality of a local government; any Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, or Alaska Native village or organization; and any rural community, unincorporated town or village, or other public entity.”
Additional eligibility criteria apply. For a full list of the eligibility criteria, applicants should reference the LHMPP Application Guide available on the LHMPP webpage at recovery.texas.gov/lhmpp.
Project Categories:
- New Hazard Mitigation Plan Development* – Develop a local hazard mitigation plan that identifies, assesses, and reduces long-term risks to life and property from hazard events, or provide cost share (local match) for funding previously awarded to do the same from FEMA.
- Hazard Mitigation Plan Update* – Update a current local hazard mitigation plan that is within 2 years of expiration or provide cost share (local match) for funding previously awarded to do the same from FEMA.
* May include studies to enhance a community’s understanding of risk
Potential applicants should call the LHMPP team at 512-770-4861 with questions related to the application and program. For additional information, please visit the LHMPP webpage at recovery.texas.gov/lhmpp.