Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program (97.024)
Program
97.024 Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program
Federal Agency
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Authorization
Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, as amended, Title III, Sections 301-316, Public Law 100-77, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 11331-11346.
Program Number
97.024
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
To supplement and expand ongoing efforts to provide shelter, food, and supportive services for needy families and individuals. To strengthen efforts to create more effective and innovative local programs by providing supplemental funding for them. To conduct minimum rehabilitation of existing mass shelter or mass feeding facilities, but only to the extent necessary to make facilities safe, sanitary and bring them into compliance with local building codes.
Types of Assistance
Formula Grants.
Uses and Use Restrictions
Food and feeding related expenses (such as transport of the food and food preparation and serving equipment); mass shelter; other shelter (such as hotels and motels); and rent/mortgage and/or utility assistance for one month only; and limited repairs to feeding and sheltering facilities. Emergency Food and Shelter (EFS) Program funds cannot be used for: rental security, deposits of any kind, cash payments of any kind, lobbying efforts, salaries (except as administrative allowance and limited to that total allowance of 2 percent of total award), purchases or improvements of an individual's private property, telephone costs, repairs to government- owned or profit-making facilities and any payments for services not incurred. For a complete listing on eligible and ineligible costs under this program, refer to Phase 19: Responsibilities and Requirements, issued by the Emergency Food and Shelter Program National Board.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Since funds are initially distributed to jurisdictions based on either a National Board formula or recommendations from State Set-Aside Committees, there is no application process for jurisdictions. All jurisdictions are considered within the National Board formula and all jurisdictions in an individual State may be considered by the State Set-Aside Board for either initial or additional (if the jurisdiction had previously been selected by the National Board) funding.
Beneficiary Eligibility
The law directs that the Local Boards, which manage the program at the local level, shall "determine which private nonprofit organizations or public organizations of the local government in the individual locality shall receive grants to act as service providers." The range of local participant groups includes the affiliates of the National Board membership which consists of the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, USA, United Jewish Communities, National Council of Churches, The Salvation Army and United Way of America, with a local government representative replacing FEMA. Also participating are thousands of independent nonprofits (such as Community Action Agencies and Food Banks and food pantries) which provide food and/or shelter services. Due to the broad category of people in need of such emergency services, the providers can include specialized groups such as domestic violence shelters, Native American organizations, organizations providing food or shelter to: AIDS patients, handicapped individuals, the elderly, homeless veterans, teenage runaways, and many other groups with emergency needs. As noted earlier, the decisions on selections are made through the consensus of the Local Board as they have assessed their community's most urgent needs. It is important that such agencies use these funds to supplement, not replace, their current efforts. This program is intended to supplement ongoing programs and allow them to extend and expand upon their existing services.
Credentials/Documentation
The program employs a Local Recipient Organization Certification Form. This form certifies an applicant's status (i.e., that it is a nonprofit capable of delivering eligible services) that it will abide by the program guidelines (both on eligible spending and reporting requests), and comply with other fiscal and program rules so stipulated. Grant awards will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular Nos. A-102 and A-87 for State and local governments. Awards made to Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and Other Non-Profit Organizations will be required to follow the requirements of OMB Circular Nos. A-110 and A-21, and be audited under the standards of OMB Circular No. A-133.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
At the local level, following award notification, a Local Board is formed. That board then advertises the availability of the funds to local service providers. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure
The local board decides the manner and form of application. The Emergency Food and Shelter Program only requires that potential Local Recipient Organizations (LROs) sign the LRO Certification Form (See CREDENTIALS/DOCUMENTATION).
Award Procedure
By law, FEMA establishes and chairs the Emergency Food and Shelter Program National Board. Along with FEMA, this Board is composed of the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, USA, United Jewish Communities, National Council of Churches, The Salvation Army, and United Way of America. Staff at United Way of America serves as Secretariat for the program. This Board decides on the distribution of funds as well as the promulgation of the Program Guidelines. Through the use of a formula based on the most current unemployment and poverty data available on a nationwide basis, down to the jurisdictional level, the National Board selects jurisdictions across the country for awards. The award amounts are determined by a per capita rate set by the National Board. The jurisdictions selected are notified of their award to alert them to assemble their Local Boards and begin advertising the availability of funding. Simultaneously, the National Board contacts State Set-Aside Committees and informs them of the amount of funds they have to work with (this is determined by applying the per capita to the universe of unemployed individuals not covered by the National Board awards), and the jurisdictions already selected by the National Board. The State Set-Aside Committee (composed of the state-wide affiliates of National Board members along with a representative from the State government and other interested parties) then recommend high need jurisdictions along with suggested award amounts. The State Committee has 25 working days to notify the National Board in writing of its selections and the appropriate contact person in each of those selected areas. Each of those steps, by the National Board and the State Set-Aside Committee, result in the notification of Local Boards across the country. These boards are made up of local affiliates of the National Board organizations, other appropriate nonprofits, and a representative from local government to take the place of FEMA (however, unlike the National Board, the government slot at the local level does not necessarily chair the board). As noted above, the Local Boards then advertise the program to solicit interested groups and make the decision as to the most effective use of the jurisdiction's allocation.
Deadlines
Both the State Set-Aside Committee and the Local Board have 25 working days from the date of notification to complete their work.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
Since the basic decision-making process is carried out at the local level, the National Board requires Local Boards to establish an appeals process and to handle all appeals promptly. Suggestions on approaches to this process appear in the Program Guidelines. Those cases that cannot be handled locally should be referred to the National Board giving details on action that has been taken up to that point. Any allegations regarding fraud or the misuse of funds should be referred directly to the FEMA Office of Inspector General.
Renewals
Not applicable. Each phase (fiscal year) is a new program.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Given its charge to distribute the funds rapidly to those areas in greatest need, the National Board uses unemployment and poverty statistics as indicators of need. For Phase 19, fiscal year 2001, the following formula was used: (1) Jurisdictions, including balance of counties, with 13,000+ unemployed and a 3.0 percent rate of unemployment. (2) Jurisdictions, including balance of counties, with 300 to 12,999 unemployed and a 5.0 percent rate of unemployment. (3) Jurisdictions, including balance of counties, with 300 or more unemployed and an 11.7 percent rate of poverty.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
October 1 to the following September 30. Jurisdictions have the option of extending their spending year to the end of either September, October, November or December, provided they do not begin spending the next award until they have reached that date. For example, if a jurisdiction chose December 31 as a closing date, and new phase funds became available in October, that jurisdiction could not gain access to the new funds until January 1. For reasons of accountability the National Board wishes to avoid the commingling of funds from different years.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Local Boards are expected to monitor the expenditure of funds in their respective jurisdictions. It is for that reason that requests for second checks (all awards are divided into two payments) must be made by the Local Boards. Along with the request for the second payment, the National Board receives an interim report on eligible spending during that phase. A Final Report also must be filed by each LRO with its Local Board. The Local Board then compiles all the Final Reports within its jurisdiction and submits them (along with any requested documentation) to the National Board. Failure of an LRO to file a Final Report will result in its award being held in escrow the succeeding year.
Audits
Local recipient organizations receiving $25,000 or more in EFS funding must have an independent annual audit in accordance with Government Auditing Standards. Organizations must meet the requirements of OMB Circular No. A-133 as applicable. In addition, the National Board reviews all new agencies and any agencies with previous program compliance problems. This desk audit for program compliance includes the submission of all supporting documentation (invoices, canceled checks, etc.) For fiscal year 2001, on-site monitoring reviews and audits have also been scheduled by EFS staff. FEMA's Office of Inspector General also conducts random field audits while the National Board has a private accounting firm perform an additional sample audit.
Records
Local Boards are required to remain in operation until all program and audit requirements of the National Board have been satisfied. All records related to the program must be retained for three (3) years.
Program Accomplishments
During Phase 19 of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program it is estimated that over 11,000 social service agencies (both nonprofit and governmental) in more than 2,500 jurisdictions will distribute nearly $140 million. The appropriation is estimated to result in more than 85 million additional meals and more than 4 million additional nights of shelter, and payout of approximately 300,000 rent/mortgage and utility bills to keep people in their homes, as well as supplies and minimal repairs for shelters. Additionally, program staff will conduct more than 25 training sessions across the country in which nearly 1,500 program participants will review procedures and exchange information with program staff.
Financial Information
Account Identification
70-0707-0-1-605.
Obligations
(Grants) FY 02 $140,000,000; FY 03 est $152,005,500; and FY 04 est not available.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
$300 to $1,142,000.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program, "Phase 19: Responsibilities and Requirements."
Related Programs
10.568, Emergency Food Assistance Program (Administrative Costs); 14.231, Emergency Shelter Grants Program.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
See Catalog Appendix IV for list of addresses for FEMA Regional Offices.
Headquarters Office
Department of Homeland Security 245 Murray Drive, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20528 Tel. (202) 282-8000.
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
Some local providers have used EFS Program funds in the following ways: (1) A drop-in center, available for homeless individuals during daytime hours when shelters are closed, used EFS funds to begin a lunch program; (2) A family shelter used EFS funds to increase the quality of the diet available to mothers and children and added a morning meal; (3) A shelter used funds to purchase additional cots and beddings, and thus increase shelter capacity; (4) A food bank used EFS funds to increase the amount of food and the protein quality it distributed to its pantry system; and (5) A shelter organization used EFS funds to make one-month mortgage and rent payments to prevent evictions which kept families in their own homes and lightened the shelter population.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Not applicable.
