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FEMA Announces $100M in Homeless Prevention Aid Awards Under the American Recovery And Reinvestment Act of 2009

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security today announced that federal funds totaling $100 million has been made available to the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program (EFSP), through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano said the funding, made available by Congress under this Act, is to bring immediate relief to communities to address unemployment, poverty and other needs in light of the economic climate faced by our country. Funds will be distributed to support social service agencies in more than 2,500 cities and counties across the country. EFSP grant funds are used to supplement food, shelter, rent, mortgage and utility assistance programs for people with non-disaster related emergencies.

The EFSP is administered by a National Board of voluntary agencies chaired by Berl D. Jones, Jr. of FEMA. Member agencies of the National Board include American Red Cross; Catholic Charities USA; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.; The Salvation Army; United Jewish Communities; and United Way of America.

“DHS is hopeful that these funds will be used to help individuals and families meet some of their basic, non-disaster related needs. We believe that the EFSPhas an extraordinary history of providing food and shelter for families over the past twenty-six years,” said Secretary Napolitano, “but an unprecedented need exists to provide this assistance to even more individuals. We are grateful a program like this exists for families struggling to make ends meet even after the paycheck runs out.”

The EFSP began in 1983 with a $50 million federal appropriation to help meet the needs of hungry and homeless people throughout the United States and its territories by allocating federal funds for the provision of food and shelter. The EFSP, appropriated annually under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, provides supplemental funds to over 12,000 agencies for the prevention of homelessness and the provision of other food and shelter services.

Since its inception, twenty-six years ago, more than $3.4 billion in federal aid has been disbursed through the EFSP with funding made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The National Board qualifies jurisdictions for annual EFSP funding awards based on criteria involving current population, unemployment and poverty levels. Grants are awarded to non-profit community and government organizations that are chosen by Local Boards in the qualifying jurisdictions. In addition to direct funding awards, a portion of the funds available have been awarded by the National Board to State Set-Aside (SSA) Committees. SSA Committees select jurisdictions for funding with significant needs or service gaps that may not have qualified for direct funding from the National Board.

A state-by-state list of the eligible jurisdictions and award amounts is available at www.efsp.unitedway.org .

FEMA leads and supports the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation, to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the nation from all hazards including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.

West Virginia Allocations

Related Links

• Emergency Food and Shelter Program Fact Sheet
• Emergency Food and Shelter Funding Overview