HomeMy WebLinkAbout20210414_LtrToYoung_FEMACity of San Luis Obispo, Office of the City Council, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401-3249, 805.781.7114, slocity.org
April 14, 2021
The Honorable Shalanda Young
Acting Director
Office of Management and Budget
725 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20503
RE: Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC)
FEMA program allocation for 2021
Dear Acting Director Young:
The City of San Luis Obispo strongly urges the Biden Administration to fund the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities
(BRIC) 2021 program at the maximum six percent allocation of funds distributed from the
Disaster Relief Fund in 2020.
There is an incredible need for this program and support to fund community resilience
projects. In total, there were 980 applications for the BRIC program last year, its inaugural
year, from all 50 states, U.S. territories, and 62 tribes, which identified nearly $3.6 billion in
needed support. California submitted projects that asked for more than $200 million in federal
cost share.
In California alone, the need for innovative and collaborative resilience programs has never
been clearer. Just in the last twelve months, our state experienced wildfires that burned across
four percent of the state, extreme heat waves and rolling brownouts that affected millions, and
strong storms that flooded roadways and knocked out power lines. We also know that the past
is no longer indicative of the future, and based on the best available climate models, these
extreme weather events are projected to increase in frequency and severity in the coming
years.
Further, investing in disaster resilience now saves us money and lives in the future. The
National Institute of Building Sciences concluded that disaster resilience investments made
today can save from $3 to $11 per dollar invested, depending on the circumstances and type
of hazard. Given this, it is imperative for communities to plan, design, and build now in order
to have safe and reliable critical infrastructure, resilient communities, and ecosystems in the
future.
While California is experiencing and planning for these climate hazards, we cannot mitigate
or adapt to the reality of climate change alone. Addressing the myriad of challenges before us,
including our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, make collaborative efforts like the FEMA
BRIC program so critical to local, regional and tribal governments. And the need across our
nation couldn’t be clearer, especially for disadvantaged and vulnerable communities who are
the most impacted and the least prepared for climate change.
In creating the BRIC program, Congress provided discretion to the President on the total
allocation amount up to six percent. Fully funding at that level would mean up to $3.7 billion
in funding would be available to cover the federal cost share for these much-needed resilience
grants – investment that would increase our long-term climate resilience, support
disadvantaged and vulnerable communities, and create economic stimulus and infrastructure
investment.
The City of San Luis Obispo thanks you for your attention and leadership to address the
climate crisis.
Sincerely,
Heidi Harmon
Mayor
cc: San Luis Obispo City Council