Washington, D.C.--Congressman Eliot Engel announced that Rockland County will be receiving funds from the Department of Homeland Security as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The funding is for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP), provided through a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) grant, in the amount of $80,504.

Rep. Engel said, “Getting much needed funding in the hands of organizations such as the Emergency Food and Shelter Program is very important in these tough economic times. While we work on reversing the downward trend of the economy and returning out nation to prosperity, we must provide for people who are suffering. The money in ARRA is designed to jumpstart our economy, but also to lend a helping hand to those who need it.”

The funds for Rockland were part of the $100 million provided for EFSP nationwide. New York State received over $5.5 million overall. The ARRA funds come in addition to FEMA’s $200 million annual FY 09 allocation announced in December.

EFSP uses measures of unemployment and poverty to allocate the funds it receives from FEMA to city and county jurisdictions around the country. To serve areas in need that do not qualify based on this formula, the National Board established the State Set-Aside Program in 1987 to award additional funds to each state based on a number of extenuating variables, including recent spikes in unemployment and isolated pockets of homelessness or poverty, among others.

EFSP funds can be used for a broad range of services, including mass shelter, mass feeding, food distribution through food pantries and food banks, one-month assistance with rent, mortgage and utility payments to prevent evictions, and transition assistance from shelters to stable living conditions. ESFP’s objectives are to allocate funds to the neediest areas; to ensure fast response; to foster public-private sector partnerships; to ensure local decision-making; and to maintain minimal but accountable reporting.

The 11-term Congressman added, “I am proud to have voted for ARRA and assisted in efforts to bring relief to areas which needed it. The people of Rockland County, who are in great need of help, will hopefully be able to receive it thanks to this investment from the Department of Homeland Security.”