Disaster Recovery Grants

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After a disaster, Congress can appropriate additional funding from the Historic Preservation Fund to assist impacted communities via grants. Historically, this funding has been available to State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs) and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs) to work on various recovery projects, including compliance activities, survey and inventory of historic resources in declared disaster areas, recovery and repair of historic properties damaged during the disaster, and other approved disaster recovery related activities. All funded repair work must substantially mitigate the threat from disasters and include steps to mitigate future damages.

In addition to assisting with the immediate needs of historic property owners, the Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund grant program (usually referred to as Disaster Recovery Grants) is designed to foster partnerships between local, state, and federal community planners in order to ensure that important cultural resources are integrated with statewide hazard mitigation planning efforts. As climate change continues to reshape communities throughout this country, the Disaster Recovery grant program is helping to provide the financial resources for municipalities and other government agencies to work together to protect the historic places of the United States, as well as the people who live there.

As part of a committed effort to help local municipalities and state and tribal governments to rebuild communities in the aftermath of natural disasters, substantial funding goes towards construction projects designed to stabilize or repair historic properties.

Application packages must be submitted using grants.gov in response to a notice of funding opportunity number under Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA) 15.957.

Former Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund Disaster Grant Programs

Previous appropriations included grant funding to SHPOs for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and to SHPOs and THPOs for Hurricane Sandy in 2013. Other disaster grant programs were funded through the President's Discretionary Fund for Hurricanes Hugo and Tropical Storm Alberto.

Disaster Grant Programs

Last updated: October 4, 2022

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