THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE FAMILY SUCCESS ADMINISTRATION DIVISION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTIONS.
This item supports the Board's Value of "[A]pproaching human services collaboratively and compassionately with special emphasis on the most vulnerable," and Goal to "[D]eliver evidence-based services to the public, and connect customers and their family members, to sustainable support, with special emphasis on financial supports." This item allows the County's Family Success Administration Division (FSAD) to continue to provide additional financial support to eligible residents experiencing economic crisis.
The Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) was established in 1983 as part of the Jobs Stimulus Bill, Public Law 98-8, to supplement and expand the work of local social service agencies to help people with economic emergencies that are not disaster-related. EFSP is governed by a national board, chaired by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which includes representatives from the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities USA, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, The Salvation Army, United Jewish Communities, and United Way of America. Local boards, modeled after the national board, select agencies in the community to receive and redistribute funding allocated by the national board to local jurisdictions. In the local jurisdiction of Broward County, Gateway Community Outreach, Inc. provides administrative support for the local board and communicates the decisions of the local board to the local recipient organizations and the national board.
The national EFSP board allocated $844,502 to the local jurisdiction for Phase 35 awards to local agencies to be expended during the period February 1, 2018 through January 31, 2019. Broward County was awarded $101,141 for Phase 35 (Exhibit 1). Broward County has received EFSP funding for every annual phase since the inception of the program in 1983, making this the 35th year that County residents will benefit from these grant funded services.
FSAD will utilize this funding to supplement services throughout its centers and expand ongoing efforts to assist eligible residents experiencing economic crisis and in need of assistance with rent, mortgage or hotel or motel payments. FSAD's Housing Options Program (HOP) personnel will manage payments on behalf of the residents. All grant funds are expended on rent, mortgage or hotel or motel payments. Administrative costs are not paid from this grant, as the program is administered by the same FSAD personnel who coordinate general fund emergency assistance through the same process.
EFSP funding pays for up to 15 nights of hotel or motel accommodations per family occurrence and one-time rent or mortgage payments. The Phase 35-awarded funding will provide a total of 190 hotel or motel nights for 12 to 15 families or individuals and will provide approximately 76 one-time payments for rent or mortgage assistance.
The funder does not provide an agreement for execution by the recipient, but publishes a manual titled “Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program Phase 35 Responsibilities and Requirements” and requires a certification that the recipient will comply with the terms of the manual. The manual includes the standard non-negotiable grant agreement compliance articles for all DHS federally funded grants, financial terms and conditions that detail the methods required to receive funds and manage payments, and the EFSP operating program guidelines. The funder only allows one contact for each award to receive all program communication and who is responsible for submission of all documentation. This year the funder is requiring all documentation be submitted electronically by the program contact utilizing DocuSign. To ensure essential program communication reaches the recipient agency timely, FSAD recommends that the Division Director as the single program contact is also delegated authority to submit certifications and reports.
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