This Introduction addresses the scope and applicability of the 2023 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program and Policy Guide (HMA Guide or the Guide); provides an overview of the programmatic changes made since the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued the Feb. 27, 2015, Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance and the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance Addendum (2015 HMA Guidance and Addendum); and addresses guiding principles and priorities for Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) programs: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Post Fire (HMGP Post Fire), Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA).
Hazard mitigation is defined as any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural hazard events and their effects. The long-term impact of hazard mitigation actions can be distinguished from those actions that are more closely associated with immediate preparedness, response and recovery activities, as hazard mitigation is the only emergency management phase specifically dedicated to breaking the cycle of damage, reconstruction and repeated damage.
HMA programs are mandated to provide assistance to state, local, tribal and territorial governments so they can plan for and implement activities that reduce or mitigate future disaster losses in their communities long term.[1] State, local, tribal and territorial governments are encouraged to take advantage of HMA programs both before and after disasters.
HMA programs are not the sole source of federal mitigation assistance. Mitigation is supported through other means and programs at FEMA, which are highlighted below, as well as at other government agencies. The Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Agriculture and nonprofit and private organizations work alongside FEMA to support mitigation.
FEMA is always looking for ways to enhance the suite of mitigation programs to better serve stakeholders. While the HMA Guide covers HMGP, HMGP Post Fire, BRIC and FMA, FEMA encourages stakeholders to explore other programs such as Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund (Safeguarding Tomorrow RLF) program to find additional sources of assistance to meet their mitigation needs. The Safeguarding Tomorrow RLF program is intended to provide low-cost loans to help communities fund additional mitigation measures and may be used to meet the non-federal cost share for other HMA programs.[2]