FEMA Flood Mitigation Grants for Homeowners (FMA, HMGP & ICC)
FEMA helps homeowners pay for flood mitigation through three grant programs: Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA), the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), and Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC). Federal cost-share is typically 75%, up to 90% for repetitive-loss and 100% for severe repetitive-loss homes. You apply through your community or state, not directly to FEMA.
FEMA grant money is real, and it can cover most of the cost of elevating or otherwise protecting a flood-prone home. But the system is built for governments, not homeowners, and the rules are easy to misread. This guide explains which program does what, what share it pays, and the single procedural fact that trips up most people: you are almost never the applicant.
Can homeowners apply for FEMA mitigation grants directly?
No. For FMA, HMGP, and BRIC, the applicant is a state, territory, tribal, or local government. Your community submits a project, and your home is included inside that application as a sub-applicant property. When an award is made, the money flows from FEMA to the state, then to your community, then to your project.
FMA: Flood Mitigation Assistance
FMA is the program built specifically for flood mitigation, and it funds only NFIP-insured buildings. It is competitive and funded annually. For fiscal year 2024, roughly $600 million was made available, with subapplications due in 2026.
The federal cost-share scales with your flood history:
| Property status | Federal share | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Standard NFIP-insured | 75% | You or local funds cover the remaining 25%. |
| Repetitive Loss (RL) | up to 90% | Two flood claims, repairs averaging at least 25% of value each. |
| Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) | up to 100% | Four or more claims over $5,000 each, or claims exceeding the home's value. |
FMA funds elevation, acquisition and demolition (a buyout), and some relocation and wet floodproofing. It is the program most relevant to a homeowner weighing an elevation project.
HMGP: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
HMGP becomes available after a Presidentially declared disaster in your state. It is broader than FMA, covering many hazard types including flood, and it commonly funds elevation, acquisition, and floodproofing. The cost-share is typically 75% federal. Like FMA, it is administered by the state and applied for through your community, so the trigger is usually a recent disaster declaration in your area.
BRIC: a program in active litigation
BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) funds pre-disaster, community-level resilience projects. Its status is unsettled and you should treat any BRIC plan with caution.
ICC: Increased Cost of Compliance
ICC is different from the grant programs above because it is part of your NFIP flood insurance policy, not a competitive grant. If your home is declared substantially damaged, ICC provides up to $30,000 toward bringing it into compliance, which can include elevation, relocation, or demolition. We cover the trigger and the rules in ICC and the 50% rule.
How the money changes your real cost
The grant cost-share is what turns an unaffordable retrofit into a manageable one. A 75% share on a $60,000 elevation leaves you with $15,000 before any insurance savings, and a severe repetitive-loss home could pay far less. To see how cost-share, your premium reduction, and payback combine, run the numbers in the Payback Estimator, then weigh the result against the damage math in is flood mitigation worth it.
Frequently asked
Can homeowners apply for FEMA mitigation grants directly?
What is the difference between FMA, HMGP and BRIC?
What is the federal cost-share for flood mitigation?
Does FEMA pay to elevate a house?
Is the BRIC program still available?
Estimate your real number
Run your mitigation cost, current premium and flood-risk status through the Payback Estimator: net cost after grants, lower insurance, and the payback in years.