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Thursday, August 23, 2012

Puerto Rico Receives $1.66 Million From FEMA Under the Emergency Food and Shelter Program

Washington, DC – Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has allocated $1.66 million to Puerto Rico pursuant to the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) for Fiscal Year 2012. The EFSP program supports social service agencies to help feed and shelter the hungry and homeless.

“Puerto Rico has received over $10.6 million in EFSP funding since 2009, including $1.4
million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This support is essential for local agencies that provide aid to the Island’s most vulnerable residents, including the most in need. This support is essential for the agencies who provide food, shelter, rent assistance, mortgage assistance, and utility assistance to those in need,” said Pierluisi.

The grant program is administered by a National Board of voluntary agencies chaired by FEMA. EFSP funds were first appropriated by Congress in 1983 and, since the program’s inception, over $3.844 billion in federal aid has been disbursed to local jurisdictions.

Member agencies of the National Board are: 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; United Way Worldwide; and FEMA.