FEMA’s Public Assistance Program
A view of the US Capitol building and busy street in Washington, DC.
The Public Assistance (PA) program is FEMA’s most crucial grant program, devoted to helping communities stabilize, maintain operations, and return to “normal” as quickly as physically possible. PA is also FEMA’s largest grant program, measured by total expenditures and size of the workforce. Applicants of FEMA’s PA program are state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments.
FEMA’s PA Program provides supplemental federal assistance for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the repair/replacement of publicly owned infrastructure. The program is based upon a series of eligibility requirements set forth in FEMA’s PA Program and Policy Guide. The current version applies to all emergencies and major disasters declared on, or after, Jan. 6, 2025.
Grants within PA are developed based upon the nature of the work and grouped by what is referred to as the “Category of Work.” Emergency Work projects (Categories A & B) capture costs associated with debris removal, overtime, emergency protective measures, etc. and Permanent Work projects (Categories C through G) capture costs associated with repair and restoration of physical infrastructure.
The cover of FEMA’s Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide, version 5.0
Emergency Work
Category A: Debris Removal
Category B: Emergency Protective Measures
Permanent Work
Category C: Roads and Bridges
Category D: Water Control Facilities
Category E: Buildings and Equipment
Category F: Utilities
Category G: Parks, Recreational, and Other Facilities
Grants are provided for these projects on a cost-sharing basis, with the federal government providing a minimum of 75% and the state or local government providing the remaining 25%. The federal cost-share can be adjusted upwards by the President, if certain criteria are met. Often States contribute heavily to the remaining 25%, and sometimes commit to paying the entire share on the local governments’ behalf.
FEMA’s Public Assistance Program also provides additional funding for cost-effective hazard mitigation measures, intended to reduce the likelihood and cost of future damage to the same facility that was damaged. This program (known as 406 Mitigation) is designed to reduce or eliminate the damage-repair-damage-repair cycle, by strengthening or hardening facilities from similar events in the future.
The most critical of FEMA’s grant programs and arguably the main reason for FEMA’s existence, FEMA’s PA Program is the primary source of post-disaster funding for state and local governments, requiring long-term coordination with FEMA staff often for many years after the disaster.
The PA program is also the primary contributor to post-disaster contact between FEMA staff and state and local governments, which can often lead to conflicting determinations, persistent staff turnover, and overall negative interactions with the agency.
FEMA’s PA program is certain to be a major topic of any discussions regarding FEMA reforms, both in Congress and on the FEMA Review Council, but is not likely to be rescinded, nor suffer a similar fate as other FEMA grant programs due to its critical nature. The program does however need to be reformed, and most who work in this industry would almost unanimously agree.
More on that, later.
For more information about FEMA’s Public Assistance Program, see FEMA’s website and the Congressional Research Service’s A Brief Overview of FEMA’s Public Assistance Program (updated June 11, 2025).