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Updated March 28, 2023
FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s)
local 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-H, 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-H).
Local Recipient Organizations (LROs): LROs are EFSP
Program Authorization
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. The authorization of
data, poverty data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census’s
appropriations in the U.S. Code for the EFSP expired at the
American Community Survey, and unemployment data
end of FY1994. Congress has continued to provide funding
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jurisdictions must meet
to FEMA for EFSP program activities since FY1995.
specific criteria to qualify for regular EFSP funding. These
criteria may vary by Phase. For example, per the National
Program Structure
Board’s website, a jurisdiction could qualify for Phase 40
National Board: The EFSP is governed by a National
(FY2022) funding if it met one of the following criteria:
Board that, by statute, includes representatives from six
300 or more unemployed with a 3.9% rate of
private nonprofit organizations: (1) the American Red
unemployment or 300 or more unemployed with a 12.8%
Cross, (2) Catholic Charities U.S.A., (3) the Council of
rate of poverty.
Jewish Federations, Inc., (4) the National Council of
Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., (5) the Salvation Army,
EFSP jurisdiction allocations are determined by dividing
and (6) the United Way of America (also referred to as
the available funds by the number of unemployed persons
United Way Worldwide). United Way Worldwide serves as
within each qualifying jurisdiction, which creates a per
the EFSP National Board’s secretariat and fiscal agent and
capita rate. In addition, any jurisdiction within a given state
administers the program day to day, along with the
(formula-qualified or not) may receive EFSP funding
Director. The National Board is responsible for identifying
through the “State Set-Aside” process. The National Board
localities in need of EFSP assistance and determining the
allocates a portion of the appropriated funds—for example,
amount of funding to allocate to such localities using a
8% of the regular EFSP award for Phases 39 and ARPA-R
formula; establishing program policies, procedures, and
(FY2021)—for such purposes based on the unemployment
guidelines, which vary by Phase (i.e., a grant cycle aligning
rates in the jurisdictions that do not qualify under the
with a tranche of appropriated funding; see Table 1); and
formula. These grants can be used to address pockets of
disbursing the funding as smaller grants.
homelessness and poverty or immediate needs. State Set-
Aside Committees act as Local Boards to manage these
For the EFSP-H, the National Board makes the final award
funds and establish a formula/criteria to fund jurisdictions
determinations and disburses funding directly to awarded
within the state.
organizations.
There is no “national” or “regular” EFSP application
Director: The National Board is chaired by a Director,
process. Instead, LROs are selected by the Local Boards of
who, by statute, is the FEMA Administrator.
the jurisdictions that are designated for funding. The
National Board disburses funds directly to LROs
Local Board: Each jurisdiction (county/city) designated for
recommended by the Local Boards.
funding must establish a Local Board. Membership mirrors
the National Board and also includes the highest-ranking
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For the EFSP-H, rather than formula-based allocations, the
National Board’s EFSP website:
National Board prioritizes communities most affected by
https://www.efsp.unitedway.org/efsp/website/index.cfm.
the influx of migrants, and the grant process is competitive.
The FY2019 supplemental appropriation (i.e., Phase
Table 1. Funding Made Available for the EFSP
SAHA) set aside $25 million (83.3%) for southern border
FY2017-FY2023
state LROs. Subsequent tranches of EFSP-H funding have
been available nationwide, but the National Board has
Fiscal
EFSP
Amount
Funding Measure
noted that most of the funding is anticipated to be awarded
Year
Phase
(millions)
to organizations in southern border states.
FY2023
Phase HR23a P.L. 117-328
up to
For the regular EFSP, the National Board’s website
(Div. F, Title II)
$785b
provides publicly available information on the funded
FY2023
TBD
P.L. 117-328
$130
LROs, jurisdiction-level data on assistance provided (e.g.,
Regularc
(Div. F, Title III)
number of meals provided), and amount spent by fiscal year
and Phase. Similar information on the EFSP-H is not
FY2023
Phase HR
P.L. 117-180
$75
publicly available on the National Board’s website.
FY23 CRa
(Div. A; referencing
Div. F, P.L. 117-103)
Eligible Costs
As the National Board is not subject to agency rulemaking
FY2022
Phase 40
P.L. 117-103
$130
requirements, it can set cost eligibility and make other
(Div. F, Title III)
program changes through its guidance documents for each
FY2022
Phase HR22a P.L. 117-103
$150
Phase. Per the program guidance implemented with the
(Div. F, Title V)
FY2021 regular EFSP Phases, eligible costs include, but are
not limited to,
FY2021
Phase
P.L. 117-2
$400
ARPA-R
(Title IV)
food (e.g., served meals or groceries);
FY2021
Phase
P.L. 117-2
$110
shelter services, including mass shelter services, and
ARPAa
(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)
utility assistance (up to 90 days); and
FY2020
Phase
P.L. 116-136
$200
necessary equipment (up to $300 per item).
CARES
(Div. B, Title VI)
FY2020
Phase 38
P.L. 116-93
$125
EFSP-H eligible expenditures must fall within one of five
(Div. D, Title III)
service categories: (1) Primary (only food and shelter); (2)
Secondary (health/medical and other supportive services);
FY2019
Phase
P.L. 116-26
$30
(3) Administrative (e.g., staff time and postage); (4)
SAHAa
(Title III)
Equipment and Assets (purchases/leases, and necessary
FY2019
Phase 37
P.L. 116-6
$120
renovations); and (5) Transportation (local and long-
(Div. A, Title III)
distance domestic travel).
FY2018
Phase 36
P.L. 115-141
$120
EFSP Appropriations
(Div. F, Title III)
According to the National Board, “During its 40 years of
FY2017
Phase 35
P.L. 115-31
$120
operation, the program disbursed over $6.158 billion to
(Div. F, Title III)
over 14,000 local providers in more than 2,500 counties and
cities.” Table 1 lists the funding made available for the
Sources: CRS Appropriations Status Table; National Board website.
EFSP for FY2017-FY2023. Phases funding the core EFSP
Notes: HR23: Humanitarian Relief for FY2023; HR FY2023 CR:
mission through annual appropriations are numbered.
FY2023 EFSP-H funding made available through the continuing
Supplemental and humanitarian relief resources have
resolution; HR22: Humanitarian Relief for FY2022; ARPA: American
acronyms.
Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA-R is funding appropriated for the
regular EFSP); CARES: CARES Act; and SAHA: Supplemental
The Biden Administration has requested funding for the
Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance.
EFSP through FEMA. However, previous Administrations,
on occasion, proposed transitioning the program and budget
a. Denotes funding made available for the EFSP-H.
authority from FEMA to the U.S. Department of Housing
b. U.S. Customs and Border Protection transferred $800
and Urban Development (HUD) or eliminating the EFSP
mil ion to FEMA “to support sheltering and related
altogether—citing it as being duplicative of HUD’s
activities,” of which, up to $785 mil ion may be made
programs and stating the provision of food and shelter is a
available for the EFSP-H. FEMA awarded $350 mil ion to
state/local responsibility.
the National Board pursuant to the authority provided by
Section 211 of P.L. 117-328, Div. F. (This is in addition to
Additional EFSP Resources
the $75 mil ion provided in Phase HR FY2023 CR.)
FEMA’s EFSP web page: https://www.fema.gov/grants/
c.
emergency-food-and-shelter-program.
TBD: Phase name unavailable as of the date of publication.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP)
d.
IF12026
Elizabeth M. Webster, Analyst in Emergency
Management and Disaster Recovery
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12026 · VERSION 11 · UPDATED