Funding Sources for Municipal and Utility Entities (Federal & State)

Timing: ASAP
Deadline: December 20, 2024 LOI
Who Can Apply: Applicants must be state—or federally recognized tribal governments. Subapplicants (local governments) can apply to their state applicant.
Eligible Grant Uses: -Developing hazard mitigation plans and rebuilding to mitigate future disaster loss;
-Developing or updating a FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plan, retrofitting existing buildings to make them less susceptible to damage from a variety of natural hazards, purchasing hazard-prone property, utility, and infrastructure retrofits to reduce the risk of failure caused by natural hazards, drainage improvement projects, aquifer storage and recovery, floodplain and stream restoration, flood diversion and storage, or green infrastructure methods to reduce the impacts of flood and drought.
Website: https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/learn/building-resilient-infrastructure-communities/before-apply

Timing: Soon
Deadline: April 30, 2025 (Opens March 2025)
Who Can Apply: Any drinking water or wastewater utility owned by a local government unit or nonprofit water corporation that was impacted by Hurricane Helene in a county designated under the Major Disaster Declaration is eligible to apply for an emergency SRF loan through the NC DEQ Division of Water Infrastructure. Secretary of the Department must certify that a serious public health hazard is present or imminent. Funding will be prioritized first for utilities that are non-operational and then for utilities that are partially operational.
Link: https://edocs.deq.nc.gov/Forms/EmergencyFundingRequest
Eligible Grant Uses: Eligible projects include public water system projects and wastewater collection systems and treatment works. The projects should create a temporary solution for the provision of drinking water or wastewater services to residents and businesses, in line with emergency protective measures laid out by FEMA
Website: https://www.deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-infrastructure/i-need-funding/application-forms-and-additional-resources

Timing: ASAP
Deadline: November 27, 2024
Who Can Apply:Eligible state and local governments, some private nonprofit organizations, to repair or replace disaster-damaged infrastructure. Apply here: https://grantee.fema.gov
Eligible Grant Uses: Emergency work within 6 months (Category A: Debris removal, Category B: Emergency protective measuresor permanent work) and Permanent work within 18 months (Category C: Roads and bridges, Category D: Water control facilities, Category E: Public buildings and equipment, Category F: Public utilities, Category G: Parks, recreational, and other facilities).

Timing: ASAP
Deadline: December 31, 2024, to fully obligate the grant funds and until December 31, 2026, to fully expend them.
Who Can Apply: No application, using unobligated funding already possessed
Eligible Grant Uses: North Carolina local governments who have not fully obligated their ARPA/CSLFRF funds and who are running up against the December 31, 2024 deadline can use these funds for emergency relief in response to a natural disaster. Can also use revenue replacement category of funds. If a local government has already budgeted its ARPA/CSLFRF funds for a different project and now wants to switch to a disaster-response project, the board can simply amend the grant project ordinance to make the change. These are to be used when things are not covered by other grants/benefits.
Website: https://canons.sog.unc.edu/2024/10/using-arpa-cslrf-funds-for-hurricane-helene-disaster-response-outside-of-revenue-replacement-category/

Timing: Long-Term
Deadline: None
Who Can Apply: Appropriated- local govs should just be aware of potential outreach.
Eligible Grant Uses: Focuses on long-term recovery efforts, addressing unmet needs that other federal programs have not addressed yet. These funds supplement and fill remaining gaps with a priority on low income areas. Used for necessary expenses related to disaster relief, long- term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, economic revitalization, and mitigation.
Website: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/cdbg-dr

Timing: Long-Term
Deadline: Sign up for updates at https://mailchi.mp/2c7f1fcbb222/resiliency-updates
Who Can Apply: To be determined. Current initiatives (Regional Resilience Portfolios and Homegrown Leaders) are focused on Eastern NC. Anticipate a future initiative to provide opportunities in Western NC.
Eligible Grant Uses: Supporting resiliency in storm-impacted regions of North Carolina by: providing coaching and technical assistance to regional partners to support community vulnerability assessments, identifying priority actions to reduce risk and enhance resilience in their region, and develop paths to implementation, developing the North Carolina Resilient Communities Guide (statewide resource that provide tools, guidance and opportunities for building community resiliency), and hosting regional leadership training workshops that emphasize resilience as a tool for community economic development.
Website: https://www.rebuild.nc.gov/resiliency/resilient-communities/rise

Timing: ASAP
Deadline: November 13, 2024 (email receconomy@epa.gov to to receive consideration under this extended deadline for Helene affected communities)
Who Can Apply: Eligible applicants include local governments, Tribes, nonprofit organizations and institutions representing any community in the United States. Special consideration will be given to the following: Small towns and rural communities, Economically disadvantaged communities, Communities located in the Appalachian region Link to apply: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/fe22265c440e4620957eca8e9a25ac83
Eligible Grant Uses: Not a grant program- you will not receive $ from EPA. The program provides planning assistance to help communities develop a vision for community revitalization through the recreation economy. Communities receive targeted facilitation from subject matter experts; connection with local, regional, state and federal partners; and the convening of an in-person workshop to bring together residents and other stakeholders to develop an action plan.
Website: https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/recreation-economy-rural-communities-2024-application

Timing: Soon
Deadline: Dates have not been released by NC DEQ yet
Who Can Apply: A local government unit is eligible to apply for a loan under the program. Loans from the program may only be used by local government units for (i) temporary financial liquidity as necessary to immediately conduct emergency repairs until receipt of federal disaster relief and (ii) any other purpose specifically provided by an act of the General Assembly.
Eligible Grant Uses: These loans are interest free and matures upon the earlier of (i) receipt of federal disaster relief by the local government unit or (ii) June 30, 2030. The expectation is that bridge funds are repaid by FEMA reimbursements, so all expenses should be allowed under FEMA policies.
Emergency repairs – Repairs, including temporary measures that allow the preservation or restoration of drinking water and wastewater services, performed by or on behalf of a local government unit on public water or wastewater systems that are intended to restore those systems to operational capacity following damage incurred by Hurricane Helene.
Federal disaster relief – Grant or loan funding provided by a federal agency to a local government unit for water or wastewater utility repairs or improvements, including emergency repairs, precipitated by Hurricane Helene.
Website: https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookup/2023/S743