BOLTON – United States Representative Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) announced this week that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a $22 million for a grant application submitted by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) to fund an initiative called Coastal Retrofit Mississippi.
Coastal Retrofit Mississippi will provide funding for cost-effective wind retrofit measures for at-risk structures.
Wind retrofitting through the initiative will be limited to retrofitting roof systems, including roof wall connection, collar-tie/ridge board connection, hip rafter connection, gable end bracing, soffit protection, and roof deck connection/adhesive, opening protection consisting of windows, doors, garage doors and skylights, and other eligible costs necessary to accomplish the overall retrofit measures.
The project is primarily funded through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and administered by MEMA.
In this particular project, MEMA will sub-grant the funds to the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration and this entity will manage the project from beginning to closeout.
The project will be phased and based on total project cost of $29,333,333.33. The federal cost share will be $22,000,000 with homeowners providing the non-federal share.
Coastal Retrofit Mississippi will initially be offered to qualified homeowners in Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties. Expanding the project will be based upon available funding and a review of the remaining at-risk structures in the lower six counties.
Qualified homeowners will be selected based on cost effectiveness, property location, building codes, homestead exemptions, dwelling type, and ability to provide 25 percent match. Details on how to apply to participate in this program will be available prior to the start of the initiative.
FEMA Hazard Mitigation grants can be used to fund projects to protect either public or private property, provided the project fits within the state’s and local government’s overall mitigation strategy and complies with Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) guidelines.
The objectives of the HMGP are to reduce or eliminate future risk to lives and property from all hazards, provide funds to implement projects previously identified in state or local hazard mitigation plans, and enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.
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