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Updated December 19, 2022
FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s)
Local Board: Each jurisdiction designated for funding
Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) provides
must establish a Local Board. Membership mirrors the
supplemental grants to private nonprofit and local
National Board, and also includes the highest-ranking local
government organizations to support and expand existing
government official, a representative who is or was
programs that aid individuals and families who are, or are at
homeless, and a tribal representative (if applicable). Local
risk of, experiencing hunger and/or homelessness. The
Boards are responsible for advertising funding availability,
EFSP is typically funded by annual appropriations provided
setting funding priorities, determining community needs,
in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
establishing client eligibility, selecting grant recipients,
Appropriations Act, and occasionally through supplemental
monitoring recipients’ program compliance, and grant
appropriations. Recently, the EFSP has been funded to
reporting.
supplement humanitarian relief efforts for migrants
For the migrant humanitarian relief, Local Boards review
encountered by DHS.
funding applications and make recommendations to the
Program Authorization
National Board on which eligible organizations to fund.
The EFSP was established in 1983 through the Temporary
Local Recipient Organizations (LROs): LROs are EFSP
Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (P.L. 98-8), and
grant recipients. They can be local nonprofit, faith-based, or
later authorized under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless
governmental organizations.
Assistance Act of 1987 (P.L. 100-77), renamed the
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in 2000. It is
Program Funding Award Process
codified at 42 U.S.C. §§11331 et seq.
When Congress appropriates funding to the EFSP, FEMA
awards the funding as a single grant to the National Board.
Section 11352 addressed the authorization of EFSP
appropriations from 1987 through 1994, via a series of
To determine a jurisdiction’s regular EFSP grant eligibility,
amendments. However, since FY1995, the program has
the National Board uses a formula that considers population
been authorized through the de facto authorization provided
data, poverty data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census’s
by Congress appropriating funds for EFSP’s particular
American Community Survey, and unemployment data
activities.
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jurisdictions must meet
specific criteria to qualify for regular EFSP funding. These
With regard to the EFSP migrant humanitarian relief, the
criteria may vary for different Phases. For example, per the
supplemental appropriations bill text directed FEMA to
National Board’s website, a jurisdiction could qualify for
carry out the stated purpose with the funding provided.
Phase 40 (FY2022) funding if it met one of the following
Program Structure
criteria: 300 or more unemployed with a 3.9% rate of
National Board: The EFSP is governed by a National
unemployment, or 300 or more unemployed with a 12.8%
Board that, by statute, includes representatives from six
rate of poverty.
private nonprofit organizations: (1) the American Red
Cross; (2) Catholic Charities U.S.A.; (3) the Jewish
EFSP grant award amounts are determined by dividing the
Federations of North America (referred to in statute as the
available funds by the number of unemployed persons
Council of Jewish Federations, Inc.); (4) the National
within each qualifying jurisdiction, which creates a per
Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.; (5) the
capita rate. In addition, there is a “State Set-Aside” process
Salvation Army; and (6) United Way Worldwide (referred
that allows any jurisdiction (formula-qualified or not) to
to in statute as the United Way of America). United Way
receive EFSP funding. The National Board allocates a
Worldwide serves as the EFSP National Board’s secretariat
portion of the appropriated funds (e.g., 8% of the EFSP
and fiscal agent, and administers the program day-to-day,
award for the FY2021 annual appropriations) for such
along with the Director. The National Board is responsible
purposes based on the unemployment rates in the
for establishing program policies, procedures, and
jurisdictions that do not qualify under the formula. These
guidelines, which vary for different Phases (i.e., grant
grants can be used to address pockets of homelessness and
cycles aligning with each tranche of funding; see Table 1),
poverty or immediate needs. State Set-Aside Committees
and disbursing the funding as smaller grants.
act as Local Boards to manage those funds.
For the migrant humanitarian relief, the National Board
There is no “national” or “regular” EFSP application
makes the final award determinations and disburses funding
process. Instead, LROs are selected by the Local Boards of
directly to awarded organizations.
the jurisdictions designated for funding. The National
Board disburses funds directly to LROs recommended by
Director: The National Board is chaired by a Director,
the Local Boards.
which, by statute, is the FEMA Administrator.
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For the migrant humanitarian relief, the National Board has
Additional EFSP Resources
directly awarded funding to eligible service organizations
FEMA’s EFSP webpage: https://www.fema.gov/grants/
via a competitive award processes in which the National
emergency-food-and-shelter-program.
Board makes award determinations—rather than formula-
based allocations—and prioritizes communities most
National Board’s EFSP website:
affected by the humanitarian crisis. The FY2019
https://www.efsp.unitedway.org/efsp/website/index.cfm.
supplemental appropriation (i.e., Phase SAHA) set aside
$25 million (83.3%) for southern border state LROs;
Table 1. EFSP Appropriations, FY2017-FY2022
subsequent tranches of humanitarian relief funding have
been available nationwide, but the National Board has
EFSP
Appropriated
noted that most of the funding is anticipated to be awarded
Fiscal
Funding
Allocation
Amount
to organizations in Southwest Border states.
Year
Measure
Phase
(millions)
For the regular EFSP (i.e., not the humanitarian relief
FY2022 Phase 40
P.L. 117-103
$130
funding), the National Board’s website provides publicly
(Div. F, Title III)
available information on the funded LROs, and jurisdiction-
level data on assistance provided (e.g., number of meals
FY2022 HR22a
P.L. 117-103
$150
provided), and amount spent by fiscal year and Phase.
(Div. F, Title V)
Eligible Costs
FY2021 ARPA-Rb
P.L. 117-2
$400
(Title IV)
The ESFP program guidance for each Phase details the
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
(Div. F, Title III)
shelter services, including mass shelter services, and
hotel/motel lodging assistance (up to 90 days);
FY2020 CARES
P.L. 116-136
$200
(Div. B, Title VI)
rent/mortgage assistance (up to 90 days);
FY2020 Phase 38
P.L. 116-93
$125
utility assistance (up to 90 days); and
(Div. D, Title III)
FY2019 SAHAd
P.L. 116-26
$30
necessary equipment (up to $300 per item).
(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
FY2018 Phase 36
P.L. 115-141
$120
National Board is not subject to agency rulemaking
(Div. F, Title III)
requirements, and can make program changes via guidance.
FY2017 Phase 35
P.L. 115-31
$120
EFSP Appropriations
(Div. F, Title III)
According to the National Board, more than $5.953 billion
Sources: CRS Appropriations Status Table; National Board website.
has been disbursed through the EFSP in the program’s
history. Table 1 lists the EFSP appropriations for FY2017-
Notes: HR22 = Humanitarian Relief for FY2022; ARPA = American
FY2022, including funding provided through the annual
Rescue Plan Act of 2021; CARES = Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
appropriation process and supplemental appropriations.
Economic Security Act; and SAHA = Supplemental Appropriations
Phases funding the core EFSP mission through annual
for Humanitarian Assistance.
appropriations are numbered, while supplemental 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 the EFSP 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].”
The Biden Administration’s FY2023 budget request
included $130 million for the regular EFSP and $24 million
d. Phase SAHA funding was appropriated to provide “assistance to
for EFSP humanitarian assistance.
aliens released from the custody of [DHS].”
Elizabeth M. Webster, Analyst in Emergency
Management and Disaster Recovery
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FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP)
IF12026
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12026 · VERSION 5 · UPDATED