The U.S. federal government provides grant programs for individuals, local and state governments to erect storm shelters that meet federal building codes for safe rooms. The grant programs for individuals are limited to those of low incomes in rural areas, but grants exist for local and state governments in rural and urban areas at a variety of income levels. Currently, the U.S, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture offer grant programs for building storm shelters. Does this Spark an idea?
HUD Community Development Block Grant s
The U.S, Department of Housing and Urban Development provides communities with community development block grants to construct community storm shelters in manufactured home parks of 20 units or more with a warning siren. The mobile home park must be comprised of low- and moderate-income households and within a state that experienced a tornado in the past 3 years. (See References 1 and 3)
FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency administers the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) which provides grants to local and state governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures, including the construction of storm shelters, post-disaster declaration. (See References 2)
USDA Rural Repair and Rehabilitation Grants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers the Very Low-Income Housing Repair program which provides grants of up to $7,500 to very low-income homeowners who are 62 years of age or older to address health and safety hazards. The improved property must reside in rural town of 20,000 or less residents. (See References 5 and 6)
Tags: storm shelters, grant programs, local state, local state governments, state governments, Department Agriculture
