CHICAGO – The Biden-Harris Administration, through FEMA, announced today a $9,962,147 Building Resilience Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant has been awarded to Hamtramck, Mich., for a flood risk reduction project. Hamtramck residents have experienced frequent basement and street-level flooding due to the city’s undersized sewer system. Federal funding will be used to install larger sewers, an overflow structure and a relief sewer to handle larger storm events while reducing the impacts of flooding for residents.
“Today’s $10 million investment in Hamtramck will help mitigate the risk of flooding caused by severe weather, better protecting people’s homes and property,” said Governor Whitmer. “Thanks to our congressional delegation, the Biden-Harris administration, we can ensure the city has the sewers, pipes, and systems to keep people safe and prevent overflow. Together, we will keep building up all kinds of infrastructure—from our roads and bridges to our pipes and housing—so we can make a real difference in people’s lives.”
“Today’s announcement aligns with FEMA’s Year of Resilience commitment to spur game-changing actions and build local capacity to withstand the threats of tomorrow,” said Tom Sivak, regional administrator, FEMA Region 5. “The damage sustained from repeated flooding events in Hamtramck will be significantly reduced, and this project will help protect these neighborhoods and increase the community’s resilience to future flooding.”
BRIC, FEMA’s pre-disaster mitigation grant program, aims to categorically shift the federal focus away from reactive disaster spending toward research-supported, proactive investment in community resilience. The BRIC program provides funds to states, local communities, tribes and territories for eligible mitigation measures that support a more resilient nation, reduce disaster suffering and avoid future disaster costs. For this project, FEMA will pay 75% of the $12,452,684 eligible project cost with the remaining 25% of the costs, $3,113,171, provided by the city of Hamtramck Sewer and Water Fund. FEMA will also provide 100% of the city’s grant management costs, $622,634, for a total FEMA grant of $9,962,147.
FEMA’s Year of Resilience initiative is building capacity across the country through robust stakeholder engagement, mitigating against the risks of climate change and promoting resilience nationwide. To learn more about FEMA’s role in fostering climate resilience, visit FEMA and the Changing Climate | FEMA.gov.