The Virginia Department of Emergency Management announced this week the award of $2.5 million for shelter upgrades and generators to 17 localities.
The Virginia Emergency Shelter Upgrade Assistance Fund, was a result of Senate Bill 350, introduced by Sen. L. Louise Lucas, and went into effect on July 1, 2020, under Virginia Code §44.146.29:3. These much-needed resources in the commonwealth were supported by the governor’s administration to provide the localities the necessary funding to make the upgrades.
The program is used for the purposes of providing matching funds to localities to install, maintain, or repair infrastructure related to backup energy generation for emergency shelters, including solar energy generators, and to improve the hazard-specific structural integrity (wind retrofit) of shelter facilities owned by the locality.
Each application has a maximum state share of $450,000, with a local contribution between 25-40% based on the Commission on Local Governments Fiscal Stress Index. Eligible sub-applicants include local governments, as defined as political subdivisions in the Emergency Services and Disaster Laws §44-146.16 “any city or county in the commonwealth and, for the purposes of this chapter, the Town of Chincoteague, West Point, and any town of more than 5,000 population that chooses to have an emergency management program separate from that of the county in which such town is located.”
“I’d like to thank Senator Lucas, and the General Assembly for advocating for and approving funding to support one of the state’s largest capability gaps, local shelter generator infrastructure,” said Curtis Brown, State Coordinator for Emergency Management. “This grant program was created and implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the focus on equity and vulnerable populations was the highest determining factor of project application scoring.”
All project applications were funded this cycle. Grant allocation letters will be sent out next week. The jurisdictions receiving funding through this grant program include:
Locality: Botetourt County
Project Name: Botetourt County Mobile Shelter Generator
Local Match: $30,600
State Match: $59,400
Total Grant Award: $90,000
Locality: Charles City County
Project Name: Social Center Shelter Generator
Local Match: $40,000
State Match: $85,000
Total Grant Award: $125,000
Locality: Charlotte County
Project Name: Emergency Generators for Drakes Brand Red House
Local Match: $10,504
State Match: $24,509
Total Grant Award: $35,013
Locality: Colonial Heights
Project Name: Colonial Heights Shelter Generator
Local Match: $63,800
State Match: $156,200
Total Grant Award: $220,000
Locality: Danville
Project Name: Bonner Middle School Backup Power
Local Match: $37,800
State Match: $102,200
Total Grant Award: $140,000
Locality: Goochland County
Project Name: Central High School
Local Match: $138,040
State Match: $207,061
Total Grant Award: $345,101
Locality: Highland County
Project Name: Public Schools Building Generator
Local Match: $51,756
State Match: $96,118
Total Grant Award: $147,874
Locality: Mecklenburg County
Project Name: Clarksville Shelter Generator
Local Match: $12,561
State Match: $29,309
Total Grant Award: $41,870
Locality: Northampton County
Project Name: Machipongo Middle School Emergency Generator
Local Match: $155,000
State Match: $345,000
Total Grant Award: $500,000
Locality: Norton
Project Name: Community Center Emergency Generator Project
Local Match: $13,365
State Match: $36,135
Total Grant Award: $49,500
Locality: Orange County
Project Name: Back-Up Power for Orange County Emergency Shelter
Local Match: $110,550
State Match: $200,397
Total Grant Award: $335,000
Locality: Portsmouth
Project Name: I.C. Norcum Generator Project
Local Match: $708,000
State Match: $450,000
Total Grant Award: $1,158,000
Locality: Prince George County
Project Name: Central Wellness Center Shelter Upgrade
Local Match: $35,520
State Match: $75,480
Total Grant Award: $111,000
Locality: Pulaski County
Project Name: Youth Center Shelter Upgrade Project
Local Match: $60,000
State Match: $140,000
Total Grant Award: $200,000
Locality: Rappahannock County
Project Name: Purchase and install generator at local shelter
Local Match: $88,538
State Match: $157,402
Total Grant Award: $245,940
Locality: Virginia Beach
Project Name: Virginia Beach Housing Resource Center
Local Match: $92,466
State Match: $196,490
Total Grant Award: $288,956
Locality: Wise County
Project Name: Shelter Generator Project
Local Match: $59,700
State Match: $139,300
Total Grant Award: $199,000
For additional information on mitigation grant funding opportunities, contact Debbie Messmer, VDEM State Hazard Mitigation Officer, at [email protected].
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