The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending almost $3.3 million to the State of Rhode Island to reimburse Providence College for the cost of providing non-congregate medical sheltering for students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $3,284,809 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the private Catholic university in Providence for the cost of renting hotel rooms to quarantine and/or isolate students between August 2020 and May 2022.
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) issued a letter to Providence College authorizing them to conduct non-congregate sheltering (NCS) and support services. The college rented 485 rooms for a total of 555 nights at the Providence Marriott Downtown and Hilton Providence.
The college also provided approximately 20,000 meals for students, as well as facility disinfection, laundry services, and medical/security staffing.
“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Providence College with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Reimbursing state, county, and municipal governments – as well as eligible non-profits and tribal entities – for the costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic is an important part of our nation’s ongoing recovery.”
FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.
So far, FEMA has provided more than $774 million in Public Assistance grants to Rhode Island to reimburse the state for pandemic-related expenses.