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Updated November 14, 2022
FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s)
Director: The National Board is chaired by a Director,
Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) provides
which, by statute, is the FEMA Administrator.
supplemental grants to private nonprofit and local
government organizations to support and expand existing
Local Board: Each jurisdiction designated for funding
programs that aid individuals and families who are, or are at
must establish a Local Board. Membership mirrors the
risk of, experiencing hunger and/or homelessness. The
National Board, and also includes the highest-ranking local
EFSP is typically funded by annual appropriations provided
government official, a representative who is or was
in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
homeless, and a tribal representative (if applicable). Local
Appropriations Act, and occasionally through supplemental
Boards are responsible for advertising funding availability,
appropriations. Recently, the EFSP has been funded to
setting funding priorities, determining community needs,
supplement humanitarian relief efforts for migrants
establishing client eligibility, selecting grant recipients,
encountered by DHS.
monitoring recipients’ program compliance, and grant
reporting.
Program Authorization
The EFSP was established in 1983 through the Temporary
For the migrant humanitarian relief, Local Boards review
Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (P.L. 98-8), and
funding applications and make recommendations to the
later authorized under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless
National Board on which eligible organizations to fund.
Assistance Act of 1987 (P.L. 100-77), renamed the
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. It is codified at
Local Recipient Organizations (LROs): LROs are EFSP
42 U.S.C. §§11331 et seq.
grant recipients. They can be local nonprofit, faith-based, or
governmental organizations.
Section 11352 addressed the authorization of EFSP
appropriations from 1987 through 1994, via a series of
Program Funding Award Process
amendments. However, since FY1995, the program has
When Congress appropriates funding to the EFSP, FEMA
been authorized through the de facto authorization provided
awards the funding as a single grant to the National Board.
by Congress appropriating funds for EFSP’s particular
activities.
To determine a jurisdiction’s regular EFSP grant eligibility,
the National Board uses a formula that considers population
With regard to the EFSP migrant humanitarian relief, the
data, poverty data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census’s
supplemental appropriations bill text directed FEMA to
American Community Survey, and unemployment data
carry out the stated purpose with the funding provided.
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jurisdictions must meet
specific criteria to qualify for regular EFSP funding. These
Program Structure
criteria may vary for different Phases. For example, per the
National Board: The EFSP is governed by a National
National Board’s website, a jurisdiction could qualify for
Board that, by statute, includes representatives from six
grants funded by FY2021 annual appropriations if both of
private nonprofit organizations: (1) the American Red
the following criteria were met: “300 minimum
Cross; (2) Catholic Charities U.S.A.; (3) the Jewish
unemployed [individuals]”; and “unemployment and
Federations of North America (referred to in statute as the
poverty rates at national average.”
Council of Jewish Federations, Inc.); (4) the National
Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.; (5) the
EFSP grant award amounts are determined by dividing the
Salvation Army; and (6) United Way Worldwide (referred
available funds by the number of unemployed persons
to in statute as the United Way of America). United Way
within each qualifying jurisdiction, which creates a per
Worldwide serves as the EFSP National Board’s secretariat
capita rate. In addition, there is a “State Set-Aside” process
and fiscal agent, and administers the program day-to-day,
that allows any jurisdiction (formula-qualified or not) to
along with the Director. The National Board is responsible
receive EFSP funding. The National Board allocates a
for establishing program policies, procedures, and
portion of the appropriated funds (e.g., 8% of the EFSP
guidelines, which vary for different Phases (i.e., grant
award for the FY2021 annual appropriations) for such
cycles aligning with each tranche of funding; see Table 1),
purposes based on the unemployment rates in the
and disbursing the funding as smaller grants.
jurisdictions that do not qualify under the formula. These
grants can be used to address pockets of homelessness and
For the migrant humanitarian relief, the National Board
poverty or immediate needs. State Set-Aside Committees
makes the final award determinations and disburses funding
act as Local Boards to manage those funds.
directly to awarded organizations.
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There is no “national” or “regular” EFSP application
The Biden Administration’s FY2023 budget request
process. Instead, LROs are selected by the Local Boards of
included $130 million for the regular EFSP and $24 million
the jurisdictions designated for funding. The National
for EFSP humanitarian assistance.
Board disburses funds directly to LROs recommended by
the Local Boards.
Additional EFSP Resources
FEMA’s EFSP webpage: https://www.fema.gov/grants/
For the migrant humanitarian relief, the National Board has
emergency-food-and-shelter-program.
directly awarded funding to eligible service organizations
via a competitive award processes in which the National
National Board’s EFSP website:
Board makes award determinations—rather than formula-
https://www.efsp.unitedway.org/efsp/website/index.cfm.
based allocations—and prioritizes communities most
affected by the humanitarian crisis. The FY2019
Table 1. EFSP Appropriations, FY2017-FY2022
supplemental appropriation (i.e., Phase SAHA) set aside
$25 million (83.3%) for southern border state LROs;
EFSP
Appropriated
subsequent tranches of humanitarian relief funding have
Fiscal
Funding
Allocation
Amount
been available nationwide.
Year
Measure
Phase
(millions)
The National Board’s website provides publicly available
FY2022 Phase 40
P.L. 117-103
$130
information on the funded LROs, and jurisdiction-level data
(Div. F, Title III)
on assistance provided (e.g., number of meals provided),
FY2022 HR22a
P.L. 117-103
$150
and amount spent by fiscal year and Phase.
(Div. F, Title V)
Eligible Costs
FY2021 ARPA-Rb
P.L. 117-2
$400
The ESFP program guidance for each Phase details the
(Title IV)
eligible costs, which include, but are not limited to:
FY2021 ARPAc
P.L. 117-2
$110
(Title IV)
food (e.g., served meals or groceries);
FY2021 Phase 39
P.L. 116-260
$130
shelter services, including mass shelter services, and
(Div. F, Title III)
hotel/motel lodging assistance (up to 90 days);
FY2020 CARES
P.L. 116-136
$200
rent/mortgage assistance (up to 90 days);
(Div. B, Title VI)
FY2020 Phase 38
P.L. 116-93
$125
utility assistance (up to 90 days); and
(Div. D, Title III)
necessary equipment (up to $300 per item).
FY2019 SAHAd
P.L. 116-26
$30
(Title III)
The above eligible costs were implemented beginning with
FY2019 Phase 37
P.L. 116-6
$120
the FY2021 regular EFSP Phases. There is also specific
(Div. A, Title III)
guidance for each EFSP humanitarian relief Phase. The
National Board is not subject to agency rulemaking
FY2018 Phase 36
P.L. 115-141
$120
requirements, and can make program changes via guidance.
(Div. F, Title III)
EFSP Appropriations
FY2017 Phase 35
P.L. 115-31
$120
(Div. F, Title III)
According to the National Board, more than $5.953 billion
has been disbursed through the EFSP in the program’s
Sources: CRS Appropriations Status Table; National Board website.
history. Table 1 lists the EFSP appropriations for FY2017-
FY2022, including funding provided through the annual
Notes: HR22 = Humanitarian Relief for FY2022; ARPA = American
appropriation process and supplemental appropriations.
Rescue Plan Act of 2021; CARES = Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
Phases funding the core EFSP mission through annual
Economic Security Act; and SAHA = Supplemental Appropriations
appropriations are numbered ordinally, while supplemental
for Humanitarian Assistance.
and/or humanitarian relief resources have acronyms.
a. Phase HR22 funding was appropriated to provide “shelter and
Previous Administrations have, on occasion, proposed
other services to families and individuals encountered by
transitioning the EFSP and budget authority from FEMA to
[DHS].”
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) or eliminating the EFSP—citing it as being
b. Phase ARPA-R funding was appropriated for the regular EFSP
duplicative of HUD’s programs and stating the provision of
(i.e., not humanitarian relief), designated by the “-R”.
emergency food and shelter is primarily a state and local
responsibility.
c. Phase ARPA funding was appropriated to provide “humanitarian
relief to families and individuals encountered by [DHS].”
d. Phase SAHA funding was appropriated to provide “assistance to
aliens released from the custody of [DHS].”
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FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP)
e.
Elizabeth M. Webster, Analyst in Emergency
Management and Disaster Recovery
IF12026
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12026 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED