FEMA offers GRANTS to communities for public shelters
While googling a bit, I also noticed that some communities voted AGAINST coming up with the amount the communities have to put up (a lot less than building one themselves), and in a few cases they have shut them down when they DO have them, because they "feared" lawsuits because the access does not meet ADA requirements.. (somehow I think people would be willing to sign waivers in order to have someone carry them inside)
http://blog.fema.gov/2012/01/success-story-preparedness-and.html
The shelter has been used successfully many times, including the historic storms and tornadoes that hammered Alabama in April 2011. Following that federally declared disaster, one of the worst to hit the state, Governor Bentley vowed to make more safe rooms the legacy of that disaster.
here's another option
http://www.survive-a-storm.com/
