RICHMOND –The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) announced today that it is opening the application period for the FY23 Emergency Shelter Upgrade Assistance Grant Fund (Shelter Upgrade Fund). This funding source was approved as a result of Senate Bill 350, introduced by Senator Lucas, which went into effect July 1, 2020.  The General Assembly approved $2,500,000 for this grant fund in state FY23. The Shelter Upgrade Fund shall be used solely 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.

“Funding for emergency shelters remains a priority in the commonwealth,” said VDEM State Coordinator Shawn Talmadge. “We are committed to ensuring the safety of all Virginians in the event of a disaster or other event requiring a locality to open their shelters. Emergency shelters are vital to providing a safe place for residents during and following a disaster to facilitate the recovery process. VDEM really appreciates the opportunity of partnering with our localities to help improve their capabilities.”

Funding Priorities

  • Project supports/protects vulnerable and marginalized populations.
  • Project is a long-term risk-based solution.
  • Localities that submit applications for their primary shelter solutions will have priority.
  • Project identifies alternative solutions.

Who Can Apply?

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.”

Application Submission

All project applications, and supporting documentation, must be submitted through the application portal by February 1, 2024.

Program Guidelines

For more information on the application process and eligibility criteria, please visit www.vaemergency.gov/divisions/finance/grants or contact Naashia Naufal, hazard mitigation grant administrator, at Naashia.Naufal@vdem.virginia.gov.