THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary ________________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release October 14, 1994 PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF $130 MILLION IN FUNDING TO FEED AND SHELTER THE HOMELESS IN 1995 The President today announced that $130 million in federal funds have been made available to local organizations to feed and shelter America's homeless in 1995. The funds will be distributed by the Emergency Food and Shelter (EFS) Program's National Board, a public/private partnership chaired by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The funds are appropriated by Congress and will reach more than 10,000 nonprofit and local government agencies in every state. "I am pleased to announce the release of these much-needed funds to help feed, shelter and give a hand-up to America's homeless," the President said. "By involving local community organizations as we decide where to best allocate these resources, we will ensure that the most urgent needs in our communities are met." The EFS program is a model public/private partnership. FEMA chairs a national board composed of representatives from the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities USA, Council of Jewish Federations, National Council of Churches, The Salvation Army and United Way of America. This is the twelfth year Congress has appropriated funds for those with non-disaster emergency needs. The EFS board develops each year's distribution plan based on unemployment and poverty rates. Grassroots involvement has been a hallmark of the EFS program. Final funding distribution is done at the local level. Each jurisdiction receiving federal money has a local board whose composition mirrors that of the national board. The local boards advertise the availability of funds, establish local priorities, select the nonprofit and government agencies to receive EFS funding and monitor program compliance. Since its beginning in 1983, the program has disbursed $1.272 billion to feed and shelter the homeless. A state-by-state breakdown of the funding is available by contacting the Federal Emergency Management Agency at 202-646-4600. -30-30-30-.