City of New York Signs Declaration Challenging Federal Government’s Termination of More Than $351 Million in Grants Helping With Emergency Preparedness Against Natural Disasters

July 16, 2025

19 Resiliency Projects Slated for BRIC Funding Face Delays, Risking Increased Flooding and Extreme Heat Impacts for Thousands of New Yorkers

NEW YORK – The City of New York today submitted a legal declaration in support of a challenge by the Office of New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 20 states from around the nation challenging the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) illegal termination of more than $351 million in Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program funding to protect against natural disasters. BRIC funding — appropriated to New York City by Congress — was established during the first Trump administration with bipartisan support to aid with emergency preparedness. In New York City, funds have been put to great use to prevent the kind of devastating impacts experienced during Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Ida. Studies have shown that $1 spent in advance saves $6 in response and recovery costs down the line — a six-to-one return on investment.

“As we saw just earlier this week, flooding and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, and it will take investments from all levels of government, including our federal partners, to keep New Yorkers safe and prepared against these types of emergencies,” said Mayor Adams. “The 19 projects that rely on BRIC funding will protect jobs, neighborhoods, and housing across New York City and we urge the federal government to continue to help protect the nation’s largest city and economic engine against future emergencies, just like it has since the president’s first term. We’re proud to submit this declaration as we fight to ensure New Yorkers receive every dollar they’re entitled to, especially those dollars that keep us safe.”

“New York City has worked hard to protect communities from the impacts of extreme weather events, and now that work is severely undermined by the federal government's termination of this important program,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant. “We applaud Attorney General James for her advocacy on behalf of current residents and future generations of New Yorkers.”

As detailed in the declaration, the City of New York currently has 14 projects funded through the BRIC program currently in progress from federal Fiscal Years 2020 through 2022 and an additional five projects selected for BRIC funding from federal Fiscal Year 2023. For these projects, the city expected to receive $351,424,696. The city will continue working to receive the funds it has been granted, in an effort to proceed on projects that protect residents and infrastructure from rising sea levels, increased rain events, and the impacts of extreme heat.

Some examples of current and future BRIC projects in New York City impacted by the funding cuts include the Seaport Coastal Resilience Project, which would reduce flood risk and integrate flood protection into the South Street Seaport historic district; the Tottenville Shoreline Protection Project, which would protect the Tottenville neighborhood from increased flooding, erosion, property damage, interruption of transportation, and injuries from tidal surges and extreme wave impacts; and the Corona East & Kissena Corridor Cloudburst Hub Projects, which would turn existing outdoor public spaces into surface and subsurface infrastructure that can absorb, capture, and divert precipitation to reduce the probability of local flooding.

There are 19 New York City-based projects that were supposed to be funded by the BRIC program.

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