National Disaster Resilience Competition: Eligible Applicant Call
September 17, 2014
Speakers: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Julian Castro, Secretary
Harriet Tregoning, Director, Office of Economic Resilience
Marion McFadden, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs, Office of Community Planning and
Development
Secretary Julian Castro:
Thank you all for joining the call today. I’m very excited to announce that HUD is officially launching the
National Disaster Resilience Competition. All of you can now apply for nearly $1 billion in HUD funds to
help your communities recover from natural disasters and become more resilient.
As y’all know first-hand, communities across the country are facing significant risk from extreme
weather. And the science is clear – climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent
and more severe. And every corner of America has been impacted: from Hurricane Sandy in the
northeast; to tornadoes that devastated large parts of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Joplin, Missouri, and
Moore, Oklahoma; and flooding in Colorado, Vermont, and Minot, ND. In fact, between 2011 and 2013,
President Obama declared 209 major disasters in 48 states. That includes more than 2,100 different
counties - that is over two-thirds of all counties throughout the United States.
These events affect the safety, health, and economy of our communities. They have taken loved ones,
destroyed homes and businesses, disrupted transportation infrastructure and electricity grids, and left
vulnerable populations isolated or stranded.
The reality is that too many areas still remain vulnerable to severe weather events and the long process
of economic rebuilding that comes with recovery. So that’s why we are holding the National Disaster
Resilience Competition. HUD is committing nearly $1 billion to make sure your communities understand
the risks y’all are facing every day and help you plan, prepare and implement measures that will make
them more resilient to future disasters.
I want to caution you that this is not a simple or straightforward NOFA. It is a little complicated and
unwieldy – not unlike the challenge of resilience itself. To that end, I encourage you to bring a team
approach to this opportunity. Do not rely on any one person, or one agency, to interpret the NOFA and
propose a path forward. Instead, bring a team of your best and brightest from across several
departments to read this NOFA and bring their respective ideas to the challenge. Out of that, the best
ideas will emerge.
The best projects will provide long-term protection against future disasters and also improve the
everyday quality of life for residents. Since the economic and environmental impacts of a storm do not
stay within city, county, or state lines, we want all of you to be thinking creatively about regional
collaboration. The competition is also an acknowledgement that the federal government doesn’t have
all the answers. But we trust that you will have ideas based on sound science and deep community
engagement that will ultimately produce the best outcomes for your communities.
I’d like to thank the Rockefeller Foundation for their commitment to this competition. As we know from
the on-going recovery process in the Sandy region, philanthropy can play an important role and be a
great partner in our resilience efforts. To that end, I want to remind everyone HUD can’t provide
technical assistance to potential applicants, but the Rockefeller Foundation has graciously stepped up
and is available to support you with their resources and expertise.
I’m excited about this competition and I look forward to the innovation, creativity and know-how y’all
will show throughout this process. Thank you for taking the time to get on the call today. And I look
forward to working you over the coming weeks and months.
Harriet Tregoning:
So why you should apply? All across the country, communities are facing significant risk from extreme
weather like heat waves, tropical storms, high winds, storm surges, and heavy downpours. In many
places these risks are projected to increase substantially because of sea level rise, climate change, and
changing development patterns.
The numbers speak for themselves – the extreme weather events are increasing in both frequency and
severity. Between 2011 and 2013 the President declared major disasters in more than 2,100 different
counties - that is over two-thirds of all US counties. The hard truth is that we must now rebuild with an
expectation of likely extreme weather in the future. When two-thirds of counties in the US have had one
or more major disaster declarations in just three years, we know we can't afford to simply rebuild as we
did before. We hope at the end of this competition, everyone who applies will have a blueprint that will
strengthen that state or community and guide future investments in their own resilience and economic
vitality.
What are the goals? We have about $1 billion of Community Development Block Grant Disaster
Recovery funds appropriated by Congress through Public Law 113-2 remaining that we want to fairly
allocate. Many of the disasters that your states and communities experienced happened several years
ago. The very best and most current information about the impacts of those disasters, especially on
factors like business closures or job losses, is data that might be available at the state or local level. So
we are looking to you to provide the best available information on which communities are the most
impacted and distressed at this point, and what are the remaining unmet needs in those communities
for the Presidentially-declared disasters that they suffered.
We are putting out nearly $1 billion to make sure communities are well-prepared to understand the
risks they are facing every day, and have the opportunity to plan, prepare and implement measures that
will make them more resilient to future disasters. And while $1 billion is a lot of money, every year
states and local governments spend many times that amount on investments that could be affecting
your resilience. These are the decisions that state, tribal and local leaders face daily – with every
federal, state or local dollar being committed to new housing, infrastructure, parks and public buildings.
We hope to encourage forward-looking risk-based approaches to ensure that the investments we make
now will last a lifetime. Will our transportation network function in case of flooding? Do we have
redundant water treatment facilities in case of storm surges? Are our buildings designed to reduce
energy consumption in times of peak demand, such as heat waves? Will our water supply hold up in
case of drought? Can our parks and green spaces capture extra rainwater to reduce the burden on our
storm sewers?
The National Competition asks communities to bring their best design thinking to the challenge of
resilient disaster recovery. We don’t claim to know what will work best in any one state or community.
But we trust that ideas that are borne out of sound science, deep community engagement, and
collaboration will be the ideas that best serve that community’s current and future needs. And we
expect that they not only mitigate the effects of a future tropical storm or wildfire the next time one
occurs, but will also result in ideas that save taxpayer money and improve residents’ quality of life over
the long haul.
Finally, we have learned we need to mobilize all resources, experts, leaders and community members in
meeting these risks and challenges. No one group can solve this problem alone. In the wake of
Hurricane Sandy and the Rebuild by Design competition, we learned how much can be achieved when
the federal government and philanthropy align their resources. Both have strengths that can help meet
this enormous challenge: we have the ability to assist states and communities across the US by focusing
federal resources through this competition. Philanthropy has the ability to move nimbly into new core
areas, and to mobilize private investment and regional philanthropic partners to support priority
activities. We are so pleased to be able to repeat the successful approach that was used in Rebuild by
Design, by aligning our efforts with philanthropy here too. We will partner with the Rockefeller
Foundation who will be making technical assistance resources available to all eligible applicants, and
work diligently side-by-side as we roll out this National Competition.
The source of funding is from the Congress appropriated CDBG supplemental funds in Public Law 113-2.
After some funds were taken back in a rescission, $15.2 billion was available. HUD allocated about $14.2
billion by formula to areas that were nationally most impacted and distressed by the disasters of 2011,
2012, and 2013. The remaining $1 billion support this competition.
The data available for allocation are aging and not credible beyond formula awards already made. The
data at the county and state levels might best highlight unmet recovery needs. This competition will
help to uncover the best available data.
67 governmental entities are eligible to apply for $817 million, including 48 states, DC, Puerto Rico, and
17 local governments. 3 applicants (New York, New York City and New Jersey) are eligible for $181
million set aside for the available Hurricane Sandy pool. The list of eligible applicants is available in the
NOFA. Competition factors are the same for both pools; and HUD reserves the ability to ensure
geographic diversity.
There are two phases to the competition. In Phase 1, you have 180 days (from today) to frame the
issues, find partners, consult with stakeholders, generate an idea, and make a long-term commitment.
HUD will invite high Phase 1 scorers to submit a Phase 2 project implementation proposal drawn from
your Phase 1 framing and idea. There will be a small CDBG-DR reserve pool to address well-documented
unmet recovery needs in non-selected (for Phase 2) applicant communities.
Thresholds for the competition are in the NOFA; there is a webinar posted on the threshold for the most
impacted and distressed areas with unmet recovery needs. Funds are only available to address unmet
recovery needs (including related resilience) of the most impacted and distressed areas that are located
in eligible counties, as determined by your own data. You will need to document unmet needs from a
Presidentially-declared disaster. You may submit your Most Impacted and Distressed and Unmet
Recovery Needs threshold responses within 45 days of NOFA publication for early review. HUD will send
a letter indicating whether your submission meets thresholds or not, and indicate noted deficiencies. If
HUD says your initial submission does not meet a threshold, this does not preclude you from applying –
you may make changes and submit for Phase 1. The 45-day threshold review is an optional one-time
submission.
Phase 1 and Phase 2 have similar rating factors with different weights; these include capacity, need and
extend of the problem, soundness of approach, leverage and outcomes, and long-term commitments to
resilience.
Deadlines include: 45 days from today to submit the optional initial threshold responses; full Phase 1
applications are due 180 days from today. An Applicant invited to Phase 2 will submit a proposal for a
project to implement based on the Phase 1 framing and idea. The project must be demonstrated to be
feasible. This means the Applicant has the capacity to implement it, and the project is designed properly
to achieve the proposed benefits. The best applications will extend resilience beyond actions and areas
eligible for CDBG-DR assistance by leveraging, plans, and strategic long-term commitments. If invited by
HUD, you will submit your Phase 2 application 120 days after the date of your invitation letter. Winning
applications will get the majority of the $1 billion.
Winning applications will receive a minimum grant amount of $1 million, and a maximum of $500
million; there is a reserved $30 million total for non-selected Phase 1 and Phase 2 applicants with
demonstrated Unmet Recovery Needs. HUD reserves the right to not allocate the full $30 million;
maximum allocations for grantees already receiving CBDG-DR funds is $500,000, and maximum
allocations for those not receiving CDBG-DR funds for a 2011-2013 disaster is $2.5 million.
As they did in HUD’s Rebuild by Design competition, the Rockefeller Foundation will provide targeted
technical assistance to eligible communities to support a stakeholder-driven process, informed by the
best available data, to identify recovery needs and innovative solutions. The Foundation is organizing a
series of Resilience Academies for the 67 eligible states and communities around the country that aim to
build their understanding of: resilience; the hazards, shocks, stresses, and other factors that contribute
to an uncertain future; the role of innovation and design in resilience building; and strategies for
resilience planning in their home communities.
Any questions can be sent to resilientrecovery@hud.gov; and you can visit grants.gov to get copy of the
NOFA.
Marion McFadden:
I want to encourage collaboration across several agencies and departments.
****
Questions
CA Governor’s Office: In the next 45 days, we can make the case that a certain impact rises to the level
that would enable funding. In California, we are currently experiencing drought, but it is not a
Presidentially-declared disaster. Can states make the case about these impacts to become eligible?
Harriet Tregoning: No, the only eligible places are counties with a Presidential Disaster Declaration in
2011-2013. What we’re looking for is a tie to remaining unmet needs and places impacted and
distressed from that disaster; once you meet that threshold, we would love Applicants to look into
future risks and vulnerabilities, such as drought. The law requires that you meet the threshold first, but
we encourage planning for risks and vulnerabilities happening now and in the future.
Jefferson County, AL: Will regulations governing this program be similar to CDBG grants?
Harriet Tregoning: Yes. In the thresholds for the competition, you must meet the same national
objectives and overall benefits. In Phase 2, you will also have to provide a benefit-cost analysis.
Instructions are in the NOFA.
NY Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery: NY, NJ, and NYC are eligible for $181 million to address critical
housing needs. Are these areas not additionally eligible for other parts of the competition?
Harriet Tregoning: No. About $181 million is available for those three jurisdictions, but you are eligible
to compete for the entirety of the $1 billion, and the competition factors remain the same.
Cook County, IL: Is there additional guidance in terms of the number and average size for expected
awards for Phase 1 and 2?
Harriet Tregoning: There is a minimum grant amount of $1 million and a maximum of $500 million,
which suggests that we don’t actually know the expected award amount. The allocations will be based
on the quality of applications. Our intention is for the competition to result in some terrific examples of
how to achieve resilience. We are hoping for some standout examples of how to make small
communities more resilient.
Cook County, IL: Our disaster is around flooding. If we meet the threshold for flooding, can we then
open up to broader resilience issues?
Harriet Tregoning: Yes, our funding is going to be restricted to areas based on your data that have been
affected by flooding, but we expect that you will identify more resilience measures for those areas and
other geographic areas.
State of Iowa: Should we presume that the applicant will be the state administrator for CDBG?
Harriet Tregoning: That is the Governor’s choice. We would love if the CDBG administrators were
involved. As Secretary Castro urged, we want teams. Unlike Rebuild by Design, in which design teams
were the lead applicant, this time we’re focusing on governments as the lead, but we would love to see
design expertise (water, sewer, energy) represented on teams. The competition is not restricted to a
single applicant; it is part of the strategic choice of states and the Governor’s office. The 17 localities
may make unique decisions. Multi-state applications could even be entertained.
State of Iowa: I foresee problems with a non-CDBG administrator administrating.
Harriet Tregoning: That might influence your choice and be a practical decision. One agency can be the
administrator, and another agency can take the lead on the application.
****
Harriet Tregoning: By October 6, Rockefeller will post the schedule of Resiliency Academies. We
encourage you to attend, as you may find it useful to meet other applicants and work through issues
that will be key to your own applications.
Marion McFadden: The academies are put on by Rockefeller, but federal agencies will participate and
be able to provide sound science and data.