Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)

The Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) is a primary funding mechanism for building and sustaining national preparedness capabilities and is comprised of these distinct funding streams:  

State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) 

SHSP supports building and sustaining capabilities at the state and local levels through planning, equipment, training, and exercise activities and helps states to implement the strategic goals and objectives included in state homeland security strategies.  SHSP provides funding to all 56 states and territories based on a combination of formula, risk, and effectiveness.

Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI)

UASI funds address the unique multi-disciplinary planning, operations, equipment, training, and exercise needs of high-threat, high-density urban areas.  This program provides funding to high-risk urban areas based on risk and effectiveness.

Key Changes for Fiscal Year 2022

UASI

The Charlotte area is the only qualifying urban area in North Carolina.

National Priorities 

For FY 2022, the HSGP includes the following six national priority areas: 

1. 1. Enhancing the protection of soft targets/crowded places – 3% minimum spend;
   2. Enhancing information and intelligence sharing and cooperation with federal agencies, including DHS – 3% minimum spend
   3. Combating Domestic Violent Extremism – 3% minimum spend
   4. NEW: Enhancing community preparedness and resilience – 3% minimum spend
   5. NEW: Enhancing election security – no minimum spend requirement.
   6. Enhancing cybersecurity (including election security) – no minimum spend requirement;

Applicants must spend a minimum of 30% of their SHSP and UASI awards
across the six NPAs but have new flexibility on how that funding is
allocated.  Although twelve (12%) is required in minimum spending across four
NPAs as noted above, the remaining 18% can be allocated across any of the six
NPAs. Additionally, with this increased flexibility, activities that support more than
one NPA may be included under only one NPA IJ but still count towards the 30%
minimum spend without having to be broken out into separate projects or activities in more than one IJ. Additional information for the NPAs can be reviewed here.

Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Activities
Minimum Allocation

The minimum percent that SHSP and UASI recipients must allocate toward Law
Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Activities (LEPTAs) has been increased from
25% to 30% in FY 2022. Investments that support LETPAs can also support an
NPA (e.g., an investment can be counted as supporting both the Soft
Targets/Crowded Places and LETPA minimum allocation requirements, if
applicable)

Allocations and Required Spending on Priorities

States, territories, and designated urban areas are required to submit one Investment Justification for each of the four national priorities listed above with associated minimum spend requirements. The four investments with minimum spend requirements must account for at least the minimum percentage (12 percent) of the applicant’s SHSP and UASI. Each state must include a separate IJ for each of the four National Priority Areas with a minimum spend requirement. All projects related to the minimum spend for the National Priority Area must be included in the IJ. The funding levels across all six National Priority Areas must equal or exceed 30 percent of the total SHSP allocation.

UASI National Priority Area investments must equal or exceed the percentage for that respective National Priority Area, calculated as a percentage of the urban area’s UASI allocation in the table below. The funding levels across all six National Priority Areas must equal or exceed 30 percent of the total UASI allocation.

For FY 2022, DHS/FEMA will award SHSP and UASI funds based on risk and the anticipated effectiveness of the proposed use of grant funds. DHS/FEMA also requires SHSP and UASI recipients (states, territories, and high-risk urban areas) to complete a THIRA/SPR and prioritize grant funding to support closing capability gaps or sustaining capabilities that address national priorities and/or support enduring needs. Targeted allocation ranges are provided for each state based on DHS/FEMA’s relative risk methodology pursuant to the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended. THIRA/SPR results do not impact grant allocations or awards.

Final award amounts will be based on DHS/FEMA’s evaluation of the effectiveness of proposed investments and projects.

States that receive the statutory minimum SHSP allocation will be awarded at least the minimum allocation identified in the NOFO. If an applicant does not submit the required priority investments with the minimum 3% spend on each with an overall total of 30%, DHS/FEMA will provide technical assistance and may place a hold on award funds pending full compliance.

Fusion Centers

FY 2022, states and high-risk urban areas that receive funding will be required to prioritize information and intelligence sharing capabilities to further enable and mature this national asset and strengthen the collective capacity to identify, collect, analyze, and share information, and to disseminate actionable and strategic intelligence to key stakeholders. Additionally, fusion centers must ensure and certify they have the necessary technological capacity to access, analyze, and share information, including criminal intelligence and online/social media threat information, both within their jurisdictions, as well as with other fusion centers across the country through a variety of systems, databases, tools, and technologies that allow for federated searching and data/information analysis that protects Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and includes appropriate privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties protections.