FY 26 Virginia Emergency Shelter Upgrade Assistance Grant Fund
Description
The Virginia Emergency Shelter Upgrade Assistance Fund, was a result of Senate Bill 350, introduced by Senator Lucas, and went into effect on July 1, 2020.
Funding Intent
Moneys in the fund shall be used solely for the purposes of providing matching funds to localities to install, maintain, or repair permanent infrastructure related to standby 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 Priorities
Project supports/protects vulnerable and marginalized populations
Project is a long-term and permanent risk based solution
Localities that submit applications for their primary shelter solutions will have priority. This will be verified by Local Capabilities Assessment Report (LCAR) submissions.
Project identifies alternative solutions Grant Policy Guidance Application
Period
FY 26 Application Period Opened: July 29, 2025
FY 26 Application Deadline to VDEM: October 1, 2025
Eligible Project Types
Purchase and installation of a permanent generator for a local shelter.
Purchase and installation of generator transfer switches or “quick connects” for a local shelter.
Purchase and installation of a solar power generation solution for a shelter.
Wind hardening or “retrofit” of a local shelter.
Eligibility Criteria
Local governments must have a current and locally-adopted emergency operations plan, in compliance with the Code of Virginia §44.146.19(E) (revised every 4 years) by the application deadline.
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.”
How To Apply?
All project applications, and supporting documentation, must be submitted through the VDEM EM Grants by October 1, 2025.
Link: Emergency Shelter Upgrade Assistance Grant Application
Link: Shelter Upgrade Application Checklist [PDF, 119 KB]
Note: If you do not have a VDEM EM Grants account, please register for an account here and indicate the reason as Shelter Upgrade application, and the program category as Hazard Mitigation Assistance.
VDEM staff will review and approve your account request, at which point you can begin the application.
Funding Limits
For FY26, there is $2,500,000 appropriated by the General Assembly to this fund.
Local governments are limited to one shelter upgrade application per year. However, the one application may include more than one site.
Limit of $450,000 (state share) for any single grant award.
Shelter Upgrade Fund may match any existing FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants to upgrade shelters.
Local governments can only receive and implement one shelter upgrade grant at a time. Construction on any previous awards must be complete at the time of application. If a current Shelter Upgrade Grant project is in progress, the local government may still apply and receive the award after the conclusion of the current project.
Cost Share Requirement
State cost share is limited to the Local Council of Governments Fiscal Stress Index, which could be anywhere between 60-75% of total project costs. However, local governments may “overmatch” to achieve the desired outcome of the scope of work.
Locality cost share percentages are available for reference below.
Period of Performance
The period of performance (POP) is 18 months.
Contact Information
Please contact Deserai Wood, hazard mitigation grants administrator, at Deserai.Wood@vdem.virginia.gov.