Residential and commercial property owners with seawalls along Miami Beach's waterways now have a new, fast-tracked opportunity to access public grant money — no flood risk assessment required — as the city launches an additional application cycle under its flagship resilience initiative.
City Manager Eric Carpenter notified the Mayor and City Commission of the development Tuesday via Letter to Commission, announcing that the seawall-specific cycle will open Oct. 5, 2026.
What's New in This Cycle
The new cycle is structured differently from the standard Fight the Flood Private Property Adaptation (PPA) Program process. Under the expedited option, participants can bypass Phase I assessment and proceed directly to Phase II of the program, which includes the grant agreement and project implementation.
Accepted applicants will be eligible for up to $20,000 in matching funds for the design and construction of seawall improvements. Projects are not reimbursed until they are complete.
If the applicant qualifies as low-to-moderate income (LMI), the PPA may fund the entirety of the project, up to $20,000, without the funding match requirement.
The application will open Oct. 5, 2026, and will remain available on a rolling basis until program capacity is reached, according to the LTC.
Who Can Apply — and What's Covered
Properties must be located in the City of Miami Beach. Applicants must be the property owner or obtain a commitment from the ownership structure. Eligible properties must be either residential (single-family or multi-family) or commercial.
Properties must also be in good standing with the City and may not have any pending liens or be involved in any litigation with the City of Miami Beach, the letter states.
Importantly, the grant's scope is narrowly defined. The LTC specifies that the grant does not cover docks, decking, dock foundation piles, pile wraps, or any other work not directly related to the seawall. Other construction, renovation, beautification, and demolition costs that do not directly relate to flood mitigation are also ineligible for disbursement or reimbursement.
Applicants must use the same online application portal as the standard PPA process and meet the same eligibility requirements.
Why Seawalls, and Why Now
The LTC frames the cycle as a strategic response to a straightforward reality: most of Miami Beach's seawall protection sits on private land. According to the letter, private property adaptation "remains a vital component of Miami Beach's broader strategy to reduce flood risk and prepare for sea level rise," and seawall improvements "play a significant role in community resilience."
The program's current seawall portfolio reflects growing demand.
The PPA Program currently has 15 properties with seawall improvement projects in progress and has assisted four property owners that have completed seawall projects.
The city is committed to finding innovative solutions to secure the necessary funding to complete public seawall retrofits, and private property owners may be eligible for a matching grant for seawall upgrades and PACE financing.
Program Background
The Fight the Flood PPA Program is a competitive, matching grant program for residential and commercial property owners in Miami Beach. It seeks to incentivize resilience action and investment by providing guidance and grant funding for flood mitigation improvements, with the stated purpose of reducing the risk of flooding and flood damage across the community.
We have previously covered earlier rounds of the program, including the 2026 general application cycle that ran from Feb. 24 through April 24, 2026, which was open to a broader range of flood mitigation project types.
How to Apply
Property owners can apply through MBRisingAbove.com/PPA beginning Oct. 5. For questions or additional information, the LTC directs residents to contact Amy Knowles, Chief Resilience Officer, at [email protected].
