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Updated February 22, 2023
FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s)
government official, a representative who is or was
Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) provides
homeless, and a tribal representative (if applicable). Local
supplemental grants to local government and nonprofit
Boards are responsible for advertising funding availability,
organizations to support and expand existing programs that
setting funding priorities, determining community needs,
aid individuals and families who are, or are at risk of,
establishing client eligibility, selecting grant recipients,
experiencing hunger and/or homelessness. The EFSP is
monitoring recipients’ program compliance, and grant
typically funded by annual appropriations provided in the
reporting.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations
For the EFSP-HR, Local Boards review and submit
Act, and occasionally through supplemental appropriations.
applications, with their recommendations, to the National
The EFSP has also been funded to supplement humanitarian
Board.
relief for migrants encountered by DHS (EFSP-HR).
Program Authorization
Local Recipient Organizations (LROs): LROs are EFSP
grant recipients. They can be local governmental, nonprofit,
The EFSP was established in 1983 through the Temporary
or faith-based organizations.
Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (P.L. 98-8), and
later authorized under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless
Program Funding Award Process
Assistance Act of 1987 (P.L. 100-77), renamed the
After Congress appropriates EFSP funding to FEMA,
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in 2000. It is
FEMA issues a Notice of Funding Opportunity and awards
codified at 42 U.S.C. §§11331 et seq.
the funding as a single grant to the National Board.
FEMA has continuing authority to administer the EFSP, as
To determine a jurisdiction’s regular EFSP grant eligibility,
the original legislation establishing the EFSP did not
the National Board uses a formula that considers population
include a sunset provision. EFSP funding, however, is not
data, poverty data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census’s
assured. The authorization of appropriations for the EFSP
American Community Survey, and unemployment data
has not been extended beyond FY1994. Still, Congress has
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jurisdictions must meet
continued to provide funding to FEMA for EFSP program
specific criteria to qualify for regular EFSP funding. These
activities since FY1995.
criteria may vary by Phase. For example, per the National
Program Structure
Board’s website, a jurisdiction could qualify for Phase 40
(FY2022) funding if it met one of the following criteria:
National Board: The EFSP is governed by a National
300 or more unemployed with a 3.9% rate of
Board that, by statute, includes representatives from six
unemployment or 300 or more unemployed with a 12.8%
private nonprofit organizations: (1) the American Red
rate of poverty.
Cross, (2) Catholic Charities U.S.A., (3) the Council of
Jewish Federations, Inc., (4) the National Council of
EFSP jurisdiction allocations are determined by dividing
Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., (5) the Salvation Army,
the available funds by the number of unemployed persons
and (6) the United Way of America (also referred to as
within each qualifying jurisdiction, which creates a per
United Way Worldwide). United Way Worldwide serves as
capita rate. In addition, any jurisdiction within a given state
the EFSP National Board’s secretariat and fiscal agent and
(formula-qualified or not) may receive EFSP funding
administers the program day to day, along with the
through the “State Set-Aside” process. The National Board
Director. The National Board is responsible for identifying
allocates a portion of the appropriated funds—for example,
localities in need of EFSP assistance and determining the
8% of the regular EFSP award for Phases 39 and ARPA-R
amount of funding to allocate to such localities using a
(FY2021)—for such purposes based on the unemployment
formula; establishing program policies, procedures, and
rates in the jurisdictions that do not qualify under the
guidelines, which vary by Phase (i.e., a grant cycle aligning
formula. These grants can be used to address pockets of
with a tranche of appropriated funding; see Table 1); and
homelessness and poverty or immediate needs. State Set-
disbursing the funding as smaller grants.
Aside Committees act as Local Boards to manage these
funds and establish a formula/criteria to fund jurisdictions
For the EFSP-HR, the National Board makes the final
within the state.
award determinations and disburses funding directly to
awarded organizations.
There is no “national” or “regular” EFSP application
process. Instead, LROs are selected by the Local Boards of
Director: The National Board is chaired by a Director,
the jurisdictions that are designated for funding. The
who, by statute, is the FEMA Administrator.
National Board disburses funds directly to LROs
Local Board: Each jurisdiction designated for funding
recommended by the Local Boards.
must establish a Local Board. Membership mirrors the
For the EFSP-HR, rather than formula-based allocations,
National Board and also includes the highest-ranking local
the National Board prioritizes communities most affected
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by the influx of migrants, and the grant process is
Table 1. Funding Made Available for the EFSP
competitive. The FY2019 supplemental appropriation (i.e.,
FY2017-FY2023
Phase SAHA) set aside $25 million (83.3%) for southern
border state LROs. Subsequent tranches of EFSP-HR
Fiscal
EFSP
Amount
Funding Measure
funding have been available nationwide, but the National
Year
Phase
(millions)
Board has noted that most of the funding is anticipated to
FY2023
TBD HRa
P.L. 117-328
up to $785b
be awarded to organizations in southwest border states.
(Div. F, Title II)
For the regular EFSP, the National Board’s website
FY2023
TBD
P.L. 117-328
$130
provides publicly available information on the funded
Regulara
(Div. F, Title III)
LROs, jurisdiction-level data on assistance provided (e.g.,
number of meals provided), and amount spent by fiscal year
FY2023
Phase HR
P.L. 117-180
$75
and Phase. Similar information on the EFSP-HR is not
FY23 CRc
(Div. A; referencing
publicly available on the National Board’s website.
Div. F, P.L. 117-103)
Eligible Costs
FY2022
Phase 40
P.L. 117-103
$130
As the National Board is not subject to agency rulemaking
(Div. F, Title III)
requirements, it can set cost eligibility and make other
program changes through its guidance documents for each
FY2022
Phase
P.L. 117-103
$150
Phase. Per the program guidance, eligible costs include, but
HR22c
(Div. F, Title V)
are not limited to:
FY2021
Phase
P.L. 117-2
$400
food (e.g., served meals or groceries);
ARPA-R
(Title IV)
FY2021
Phase
P.L. 117-2
$110
shelter services, including mass shelter services, and
ARPAc
(Title IV)
hotel/motel lodging assistance (up to 90 days);
FY2021
Phase 39
P.L. 116-260
$130
rent/mortgage assistance (up to 90 days);
(Div. F, Title III)
FY2020
Phase
P.L. 116-136
$200
utility assistance (up to 90 days); and
CARES
(Div. B, Title VI)
necessary equipment (up to $300 per item).
FY2020
Phase 38
P.L. 116-93
$125
(Div. D, Title III)
(These eligibility bounds were implemented with the
FY2019
Phase
P.L. 116-26
$30
FY2021 regular EFSP Phases.)
SAHAc
(Title III)
EFSP Appropriations
FY2019
Phase 37
P.L. 116-6
$120
According to the National Board, “During its 40 years of
(Div. A, Title III)
operation, the program disbursed over $6.158 billion to
FY2018
Phase 36
P.L. 115-141
$120
over 14,000 local providers in more than 2,500 counties and
(Div. F, Title III)
cities.” Table 1 lists the funding made available for the
EFSP for FY2017-FY2023. Phases funding the core EFSP
FY2017
Phase 35
P.L. 115-31
$120
mission through annual appropriations are numbered.
(Div. F, Title III)
Supplemental and humanitarian relief resources have
Sources: CRS Appropriations Status Table; National Board website.
acronyms.
Notes: HR FY23 CR: FY2023 EFSP-HR funding made available
The Biden Administration has requested funding for the
through the continuing resolution; HR22: Humanitarian Relief for
EFSP through FEMA. However, previous Administrations,
FY2022; ARPA: American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA-R is
on occasion, proposed transitioning the program and budget
funding appropriated for the regular EFSP); CARES: CARES Act; and
authority from FEMA to the U.S. Department of Housing
SAHA: Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance.
and Urban Development (HUD) or eliminating the EFSP
altogether—citing it as being duplicative of HUD’s
a. TBD: To be determined. Phase name unavailable as of the date
programs and stating the provision of food and shelter is a
of publication.
state/local responsibility.
Additional EFSP Resources
b. P.L. 117-328 transferred $800 mil ion to FEMA, of which, up to
$785 mil ion may be made available for EFSP-HR. This use is
FEMA’s EFSP web page: https://www.fema.gov/grants/
permissive but not set. Thus, it is also possible that no additional
emergency-food-and-shelter-program.
funding may be provided for the EFSP-HR for FY2023 (beyond
the $75 mil ion provided in Phase HR FY23 CR).
National Board’s EFSP website:
https://www.efsp.unitedway.org/efsp/website/index.cfm.
c. Denotes funding provided for EFSP-HR.
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 7 · UPDATED