FEMA Announces $153M in Homeless Prevention Aid Awards for 2008
Release Date: February 26, 2008
Release Number: HQ-08-026
» Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal funds totaling $153 million has been awarded to help prevent homelessness, and feed and shelter the nation's hungry and homeless.
FEMA Administrator David Paulison said the funding was made available by Congress for the National Board of the Emergency Food and Shelter (EFS) Program to support social service agencies in more than 2,500 cities and counties across the country. EFS grant funds are used to supplement food, shelter, rent, mortgage and utility assistance programs for people with non-disaster related emergencies.
The EFS Program, commemorating its twenty-fifth year, is administered by a National Board of voluntary agencies chaired by FEMA. Member agencies of the National Board include American Red Cross; Catholic Charities USA; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; The Salvation Army; United Jewish Communities; and United Way of America.
"The EFS Program has an extraordinary history of providing food and shelter for families over the past twenty-five years," said Paulison, "but there is now an unprecedented demand on our shelters from the newest population in need the working poor. I am grateful a program like this exists for families struggling to make ends meet even after the paycheck runs out."
The Emergency Food and Shelter Program 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 EFS Program, appropriated annually under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, provides supplemental funds to nearly 12,000 agencies for the prevention of homelessness and the provision of other food and shelter services.
Paulison noted that, since its inception twenty-five years ago, more than $3.1 billion in federal aid has been disbursed through the EFS Program.
The national board qualifies jurisdictions for annual EFS 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, Paulison said that eight percent of this year's total EFS appropriation has been set aside by the national board for state grants to aid the needy in non-qualifying jurisdictions.
A state-by-state list of the eligible jurisdictions and award amounts is available at www.efsp.unitedway.org .
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Thursday, 28-Feb-2008 09:29:38