On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law. The Act provides an additional $110 million for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) to provide humanitarian relief to families and individuals encountered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). FEMA awarded the funds to the National Board for EFSP on March 18, 2021.
The National Board for the EFSP has made guidance and the ARPA application available. The application period is from April 19, 2021 - April 30, 2021. Any nonprofit, faith-based or government agency can apply for the funds; current or former EFSP participation is not a requisite for application submission in ARPA. Only agencies that can document expenditures made to migrants encountered by DHS at the southern border may be considered to receive funds for eligible services provided. Eligible organizations that provide shelter, food, transportation, basic heath and first aid, COVID-19 testing and associated medical care needed during quarantine and isolation, and other supportive services may apply. Most of the funding is anticipated to be awarded to service organizations from southern border states where the greatest needs are expected to be met, but organizations in all states nationwide may apply.
The remaining $4.1 million from the Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance (SAHA) funds will be distributed concurrently with the $110 million from the ARPA in the Round 3 application period. Eligible expenses will be considered and prioritized for reimbursement according to sheltering, feeding, transportation, basic heath and first aid, and then other supportive services. The National Board will implement a funds delivery method based on the submission of Special Funding Requests (SFRs) to expedite the reimbursement of the remaining SAHA funds for eligible costs incurred by nonprofit and governmental organizations assisting this specified population of vulnerable people. To participate, eligible organizations must have been awarded funds in either of the two previous application periods and provided services to migrants at the southwest border from January 1, 2021 through March 31, 2021. The SFR funding method for SAHA will only be available to the states of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. Local Boards and SSAs will be allowed to submit SFRs to the National Board for expenses incurred by service organizations starting April 1, 2021. |
