98-8 ) in which Congress allocated $50 million to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide emergency food and shelter to needy individuals. The program funds soup kitchens, food banks, and shelters, and also provides homeless prevention services. Local communities largely determine how funds will be used. The National Board

Although funds for the EFS program are appropriated to FEMA, a National Board was established to carry out the program, including the distribution of funds to local jurisdictions. Very little EFS program funding is used for administrative expenses. Location of the EFS Program

Beginning in FY2003 and continuing through FY2005, the President's budget request proposed moving the EFS program from FEMA to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in order to consolidate homeless programs.
The Emergency Food and Shelter (EFS) Program allocates funds to local communities to fund homeless programs including soup kitchens, food banks, shelters, and homeless prevention services. The EFS program is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and after Hurricane Katrina struck, some questions arose about the use of EFS program funds for Presidentially-declared disasters. This report describes how the EFS program operates through its National Board, local boards, and local recipient organizations. It further discusses the use of EFS program funds during disasters, and recent attempts to move the program from FEMA to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).