FEMA: Billions in Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Subgrants Remain Unawarded

FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program awarded $2.5 billion of $4.8 billion available across its first four grant cycles from 2020-2023, but from April 2025 to March 2026 the agency awarded no new subgrants and obligated no new funds, leaving 700 subapplications worth $2.2 billion in limbo. GAO found the median wait for award decisions ran 7 to 9 months, delays states said increased project costs and caused some subrecipients to stop work.

FEMA announced in April 2025 that it was ending BRIC entirely, then didn't clarify internally or externally which subgrants would be terminated until announcing in March 2026 that it was restarting the program. Officials told GAO the lack of information created 'challenges' for communities relying on the funding for flood and hazard mitigation.

GAO also found FEMA set performance goals, such as spreading grants geographically, without setting targets to measure whether it met them, and didn't use performance data at all when deciding to end the program. The agency has made seven recommendations, all concurred with by DHS.

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