DHS Announces $1.6 Billion in Preparedness Grants

WASHINGTON— Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas today announced $1.6 billion for eight Fiscal Year 2022 preparedness grant programs. Together, these programs provide critical funding to help state and local officials prepare for, prevent, protect against, and respond to acts of terrorism and other hazards. This funding is in addition to the $405.1 million announced last month for the Emergency Management Performance Grant Program.

Secretary Mayorkas issued the following statement about this year’s grant awards:

“Since the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the threat landscape has continued to evolve. DHS has remained vigilant while adapting to protect the homeland. Through our grant programs, DHS makes critical investments to support our partners across every level of government and in the private sector as we work together to keep our communities safe.

Following the hostage situation at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, I called for an increase in funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). This program provides essential resources to help protect nonprofit organizations at risk of terrorist attacks. This year, Congress will provide a total of $250 million, an increase of $70 million from last year. This increase will allow more nonprofit organizations across the nation to make physical security enhancements to help protect against attacks. The increase also enables DHS to expand participation in this critical program and increase our support to historically marginalized communities and HBCUs in an effort to build capacity and address an evolving threat environment. In the President’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget request to Congress, DHS has proposed an additional increase in funding for this critical program to $360 million.

As the threats to our nation continue to evolve, our grant programs must evolve with them. This year, I have designated two new national priority areas for the FY 2022 State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) and Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant programs: Community Preparedness and Resilience; and Election Security.

With this year’s grant awards, DHS is prioritizing support to state, local, tribal, territorial, and campus law enforcement efforts more than ever before. Since 2007, DHS grant programs have required a minimum of 25% of funds be granted to Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Activities (LETPA). This year, for the first time, I am increasing funding to LETPA from a statutory minimum of 25% to 30%, resulting in a $51.5 million increase from the prior year. Through these efforts, the Department is supporting law enforcement’s ability to understand, recognize, prepare for, prevent, and respond to pre-operational activity and other crimes that are precursors or indicators of terrorist activity.”

The Fiscal Year 2022 grant guidance will continue to focus on the nation’s highest risk areas, including urban areas that face the most significant threats and national priorities. This year, the Urban Area Security Initiative will enhance regional preparedness and capabilities by funding 36 high-threat, high-density urban areas. This includes five additional urban areas who will receive funding to build and sustain capability based on an evolving threat environment. This represents Congressional intent to limit these funds to those urban areas that represent up to 85% of nationwide risk.

DHS has identified six national priority areas in the FY 2022 grant cycle: cybersecurity; soft targets and crowded places; intelligence and information sharing; domestic violent extremism; community preparedness and resilience; and election security. Grant recipients under the State Homeland Security Program and Urban Area Security Initiative will be required to dedicate a minimum of 30% of their awards across these six priority areas. Twelve percent is required through minimum spend amounts for four priority areas, and recipients have flexibility on how to allocate the remaining 18% across the six priority areas: cybersecurity (no minimum spend); soft target and crowded places (3%); information and intelligence sharing (3%); domestic violent extremism (3%); community preparedness and resilience (3%); and election security (no minimum spend). After extensive consultation with grantees leading up to this announcement, DHS is focused on balancing the need to invest in high priority areas with giving jurisdictions the flexibility to make prioritization decisions based on their own assessments of their needs.

As with previous years, new capabilities that are built using homeland security grant funding must be deployable if needed to support regional and national efforts. All capabilities being built or sustained must have a clear linkage to the core capabilities articulated in the National Preparedness Goal.

Preparedness Grant Program Allocations for Fiscal Year 2022

The following grants are non-competitive and awarded to recipients based on a number of factors:

Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP): State Homeland Security Program—provides $415 million to support the implementation of risk-driven, capabilities-based state homeland security strategies to address capability targets. Awards are based on statutory minimums and relative risk as determined by DHS/FEMA’s risk methodology.

HSGP: Urban Area Security Initiative—provides $615 million to enhance regional preparedness and capabilities in 36 high-threat, high-density areas. Awards are based on relative risk as determined by DHS/FEMA’s risk methodology.

  • For both the state homeland and urban area grants, 30% of the awards must address the six priority areas of cybersecurity; soft target and crowded places; information and intelligence sharing; domestic violent extremism; community preparedness and resilience; and election security. Additionally, 30% of these grants must be dedicated to law enforcement terrorism prevention activities, and 80% of these grants must be obligated from the state to local or tribal governments within 45 calendar days of receipt.

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Grant Training and Technical Assistance Support

OUTREACH SERIES INFORMATION AND INVITATION 

Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) Outreach Series

for HSGP Applicants and Stakeholders

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) invites all potential HSGP applicants and sub-applicants (inclusive of the State Homeland Security Program, Urban Area Security Initiative, and Operation Stonegarden) to participate in one of the upcoming technical assistance webinars regarding the fiscal year (FY) 2022 HSGP. The FY 2022 HSGP will provide $1.12 billion in funding support to state, local, and territorial governments for security-related activities to prevent, prepare for, protect against, and respond to terrorist attacks. Additional program information is located at Homeland Security Grant Program | FEMA.gov. The details for these webinars are:

Login Information (same for all sessions)

Meeting ID: 160 5057 2298

Passcode: 336140

Zoom Link: https://fema.zoomgov.com/j/16050572298

Dates:

  • Monday, May 16, 2022, from 2-3 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)
  • Thursday, May 19, 2022, from 2-3 p.m. ET
  • Monday, May 23, 2022, from 2-3 p.m. ET
  • Wednesday, June 1, 2022, from 2-3 p.m. ET
  • Monday, June 6, 2022, from 2-3 p.m. ET
  • Wednesday, June 8, 2022, from 2-3 p.m. ET

As a part of these calls, you will have a chance to ask questions and hear from FEMA/GPD and our partners from across the Department of Homeland Security on:

  • The timeline for awards
  • Key changes to the FY 2022 HSGP
  • Approaches for effectively addressing the FY 2022 HSGP National Priority Areas