Matching Grants Available to ‘Fight the Flood’

(Miami Beach, FL) Jul 12, 2022 -

The City of Miami Beach is offering up to $20,000 in matching funds for property owners that want to conduct flood risk assessments and undertake flood mitigation projects. The Private Property Adaptation (PPA) program is open to single-family residential, multifamily residential and commercial properties.

“This program is the first of its kind, not only in Miami Beach but anywhere in the nation,” Miami Beach City Manager Alina T. Hudak explained. “While the Fight the Flood program is open to all Miami Beach property owners, we are waiving the matching cost requirement for eligible projects for low-to-moderate income property owners to make the program accessible to those that may need it most.”

Miami Beach property owners can submit an application for consideration between July 25 and Aug. 19 by clicking here. Informational workshops will be held via Zoom at 6 p.m. on July 21 and 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 2. Additional workshops and in-person visits may be scheduled at a later date.

Funding for the PPA program was made possible by the Miami Beach Mayor and City Commission with special acknowledgement to the late Commissioner Mark Samuelian, who sponsored the funding under an allocation of nearly $667,000 each year.

Projects may include backflow prevention, mechanical and electrical flood protection, wet and dry floodproofing and green infrastructure. In addition, properties may qualify for an application to FEMA for home elevation and apply for 75% funding or more.

An internal team of reviewers will evaluate and prioritize each application based on established criteria to include elevation, residential status, historic designation, income and certain flood information.

“By providing information and options to protect people and their homes, we are reducing future flood risk and adapting to climate change,” Miami Beach Chief Resilience Officer Amy Knowles added. “The goal is to build resilience at the individual level through nature-based infrastructure and building retrofits.”

For more information, visit www.mbrisingabove.com/ppa.

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