EFSP

COMMUNITY IMPACT

The Emergency Food & Shelter Program (EFSP) provides financial assistance to individuals and families who are in economic crisis: in danger of losing their home or seeking shelter; in need of food; or unable to pay utility bills.

Since the program's inception in 1983, over $6.7 billion has been awarded to 14,000 agencies in all 50 states and U.S. territories. Funded agencies have given support to individuals and families in their communities by providing:
  • 2.5 billion meals;
  • 5 million rent/mortgage payments;
  • 273 million nights of shelter; and
  • 6.8 million utility payments.
Between 2019 to 2023, at the request of the Federal government, EFSP was awarded $715 million to distribute to local organizations providing humanitarian services for families and individuals encountered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at the U.S. Southern border.
ACCOUNTABILITY AND STEWARDSHIP

A guiding principle of EFSP is accountability - good stewardship of taxpayers' dollars through reasonable oversight and transparency. Administered by the EFSP National Board which monitors program and financial performance, EFSP undergoes independent annual audits. EFSP's audits are consistently with an unmodified opinion (i.e., a "clean" audit) for more than 10 years. At the end of each spending period, local boards and funded organizations must submit to EFSP a final report of expenses and services provided, along with supporting documentation for those selected to do so. Final reports are reviewed to ensure all funds are accounted for and for eligibility of expenditures.
EFSP is administered with exceptional efficiency. For EFSP regular fiscal year awards, only 3.5% of awards to the program are used for program administration, allowing more than 96% of funds to be invested directly in assistance delivered by local agencies in their communities.
PROGRAM BACKGROUND

EFSP was established by Congress in 1983 and authorized by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. The EFSP National Board (governing body) was created by Congress to include persons nominated by six nonprofit organizations, the American Red Cross; Catholic Charities, USA; the Jewish Federations of North America; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; The Salvation Army; and United Way Worldwide. The Board is chaired by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These organizations have proven records of serving individuals and communities during non-disaster emergencies.
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