Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, and Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA), Ranking Member on the Capital Markets Subcommittee, sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Cameron Hamilton requesting an update and urging the immediate release of hazard mitigation funds for critical recovery and resilience projects for the City of Los Angeles.

Following the devastating January 2025 Pacific Palisades and Eaton Fires, which claimed 31 lives, destroyed over 16,000 properties, and caused over $60 billion in damages, the City of Los Angeles became eligible for critical Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding. HMGP funds are available and routinely awarded to communities following a major disaster declaration. A year and a half later, FEMA's public database shows zero dollars obligated out of a potential $745 million in HMGP recovery funding locked in for Los Angeles as of July 2026.

“A year and a half later, FEMA has yet to obligate any of the $745 million in potential HMGP funding for Los Angeles’ recovery,” wrote the lawmakers. “Awarding funding to these six HMGP projects would strengthen the City’s resilience by protecting critical infrastructure, housing, and essential public services from future wildfires, earthquakes and flooding.”

The lawmakers are urging FEMA to provide an update and immediately clear the backlog and obligate the six pending HMGP projects designed to strengthen the city's resilience against wildfires, earthquakes, and flooding:

• Upgrading the Fire Department Emergency Communications systems infrastructure.
  
• Department of Building and Safety: Establishing a Post-Wildfire Disaster Code Enforcement “One-Stop Center” to streamline and expedite repairs for fire-damaged properties.
  
• Housing Department Home Hardening Rebates: Delivering direct rebates to homeowners for residential hardening and retrofitting.
  
• Public Works Bureau of Sanitation: Improving stormwater infrastructure at four high-risk locations to mitigate severe flooding.
  
• Department of Water and Power (LADWP): Seismically retrofitting tilt-up walls at nine critical substations to ensure uninterrupted service during earthquakes.
  
• LADWP: Upgrading 21 crucial substations with wooden cable trench cover retrofits to withstand future wildfires.
  

In response to the concerns of local leaders and constituents, the lawmakers set a deadline of September 4, 2026, for FEMA to provide a full status update of these projects.

Read the full letter HERE.

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