U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro launched a $1 billion National Disaster Resilience Competition in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation on Sept. 17. The National Disaster Resilience Competition makes $1 billion available to communities that have been struck by natural disasters in recent years. The competition promotes risk assessment and planning and will fund the implementation of innovative resilience projects to better prepare communities for future storms and other extreme events. This competition responds to requests from state, local, and tribal leaders who have asked the federal government to help them prepare their communities for the impacts of climate change and support investments in more resilient infrastructure.

All successful applicants will need to tie their proposals to the eligible disaster from which they are recovering. For example, a community that suffered a flood might want to offer flood buyouts and property acquisition in the most impacted and distressed areas, followed by restoration of a wetland to limit future flooding and provide a nature preserve or recreation area.

All states with counties that experienced a Presidentially Declared Major Disaster in 2011, 2012 or 2013 are eligible to submit applications that address unmet needs as well as vulnerabilities to future extreme events, stresses, threats, hazards, or other shocks in areas that were most impacted and distressed as a result of the effects of the Qualified Disaster. In addition, 17 local governments that have received funding under PL 113-2 are also eligible. Find a list of eligible applicants here and get more information about the competition.