According to the Department of Homeland Security, $765 million in direct funding will be available as part of the FY 2006 Urban Areas Security Initiative. UASI provides resources for the equipment, training, planning, and exercise needs of select high-threat urban areas.

“The department is investing federal funding into our communities facing the greatest risk and demonstrating the greatest need in order to receive the highest return in our nation's security,” said DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff.

In FY 2006, the department identified 35 areas eligible to apply for and receive funding. These areas encompass 95 cities with populations of 100,000 or more. This year's formula promotes a “super” UASI concept that is designed to build greater regional capabilities across a geographic area. In addition, 11 urban areas from the FY 2005 UASI have been identified as eligible to apply for sustainment funding in FY 2006, to ensure that strategic investments made thus far can be completed and to identify projects that, if funded, would significantly reduce risk.

All eligible applicants must submit an investment justification, which identifies needs and outlines the intended security enhancement plan to be addressed with funding, to meet the target capabilities outlined in the National Preparedness Goal. Investment justifications will be reviewed, scored and prioritized along with risk factors to determine which best address need and minimize risk.

The list of eligible applicants and recipients is determined through a robust risk formula that considers three primary variables: consequence, vulnerability and threat. Factors such as the presence of international borders, population and population density, the location of critical infrastructure, formal mutual aid cooperation, law enforcement investigations and enforcement activity are considered in correlation with the risk.

A list of UASI-eligible applicants is available at www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interweb/assetlibrary/FY06_UASI_Eligibility_List.pdf.