Guide to Local Recovery Update: April 21
Apr 21, 2021
New federal reimbursement and funding are available for cities, and Treasury Department announces steps for cities to take to prepare for American Rescue Plan funds.
Cal OES previews new guidance on FEMA reimbursement for Project Roomkey during latest Cal Cities Guide to Local Recovery webinar
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced that it will provide a 100 percent federal cost share reimbursement to cities for eligible Project Roomkey activities, and the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) presented guidance to help cities navigate the reimbursement process during the latest Cal Cities Guide to Local Recovery webinar on April 21. The webinar video and slides are both available to view.
Funding Opportunity: $110 Million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Emergency Food and Shelter Program
The American Rescue Plan Act appropriated $510 million to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program. As part of that appropriation, $110 million is available for local governments and organizations providing humanitarian relief to families and individuals encountered by the Department of Homeland Security on the southern border. That funding may be used for shelter, food, transportation, basic health, first aid, COVID-19 testing and care, and other supportive services.
This week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the opening of the application process for the $110 million Emergency Food and Shelter Program. Those interested in applying for funding can access the application and guidance on the FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Program website, under the Supplemental Funding Information tab. The application deadline is April 30, 2021.
For questions regarding the program, please contact the FEMA Office of External Affairs (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov.
Steps to Receive American Rescue Plan Funding from the U.S. Department of the Treasury
On April 15, the U.S. Department of the Treasury released new steps that all cities need to take to receive their city allocation under the local relief included in the American Rescue Plan. The rescue plan was signed into law in March 2021, and includes $65 billion in much-needed direct and flexible relief for every city in the country, with an anticipated $8.3 billion for California cities. While the Treasury Department has not released the final city allocations, you can find city-by-city estimates on the National League of Cities website. Below are the steps that all cities should take now to ensure that they receive their allocation in an efficient and timely manner.
The U.S. Department of Treasury has indicated that program guidance for Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund will be released in the coming weeks. If you have any questions regarding this process, you can email the U.S. Department of Treasury help desk at OfficeOfRecoveryPrograms@treasury.gov.
Please send all other questions to covid-19@calcities.org. For more information on guidelines, resources, and opportunities that will be provided in the coming weeks and months as we chart our path to recovery from this pandemic, visit Cal Cities’ new Guide to Local Recovery webpage.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced that it will provide a 100 percent federal cost share reimbursement to cities for eligible Project Roomkey activities, and the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) presented guidance to help cities navigate the reimbursement process during the latest Cal Cities Guide to Local Recovery webinar on April 21. The webinar video and slides are both available to view.
Funding Opportunity: $110 Million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Emergency Food and Shelter Program
The American Rescue Plan Act appropriated $510 million to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program. As part of that appropriation, $110 million is available for local governments and organizations providing humanitarian relief to families and individuals encountered by the Department of Homeland Security on the southern border. That funding may be used for shelter, food, transportation, basic health, first aid, COVID-19 testing and care, and other supportive services.
This week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the opening of the application process for the $110 million Emergency Food and Shelter Program. Those interested in applying for funding can access the application and guidance on the FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Program website, under the Supplemental Funding Information tab. The application deadline is April 30, 2021.
For questions regarding the program, please contact the FEMA Office of External Affairs (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov.
Steps to Receive American Rescue Plan Funding from the U.S. Department of the Treasury
On April 15, the U.S. Department of the Treasury released new steps that all cities need to take to receive their city allocation under the local relief included in the American Rescue Plan. The rescue plan was signed into law in March 2021, and includes $65 billion in much-needed direct and flexible relief for every city in the country, with an anticipated $8.3 billion for California cities. While the Treasury Department has not released the final city allocations, you can find city-by-city estimates on the National League of Cities website. Below are the steps that all cities should take now to ensure that they receive their allocation in an efficient and timely manner.
- If you are a metropolitan city, you should take the steps below:
- Ensure the entity has a valid DUNS number. A DUNS number is a unique nine-character number used to identify an organization. The federal government uses the DUNS number to track how federal money is allocated. A DUNS number is required prior to registering with the SAM database, which is outlined below. Registering for a DUNS number is free of charge. You can check if your city has a DUNS number by visiting SAM.gov. If your city does not have a valid DUNS number, please visit https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/ or call 1 (866) 705-5711 to begin the registration process.
- Ensure the entity has an active SAM registration. The System for Award Management (SAM) is the official government-wide database to register with in order to do business with the U.S. government. All federal financial assistance recipients must register on SAM.gov and renew their SAM registration annually to maintain an active status to be eligible to receive federal financial assistance. There is no charge to register or maintain your entity SAM registration. You can check if your city is registered on SAM.gov. If your city does not have an active SAM registration, please visit SAM.gov to begin the entity registration or renewal process. Please note that SAM registration can take up to three weeks; delay in registering in SAM could impact timely payment of funds. Click here for a quick overview for SAM registration.
- Gather your city payment information, including:
- Entity Identification Number (EIN), name, and contact information
- Name and title of an authorized representative of the entity
- Financial institution information (e.g., routing and account number, financial institution name and contact information)
- If you are an eligible non-entitlement city, you will receive a distribution of funds from the state:
- "Non-entitlement units of local government" are defined in 42 U.S.C. 5302(a)(5) that are not metropolitan cities. For these non-entitlement units of local government, the U.S. Department of Treasury will allocate and pay funds to state governments, and the state will distribute funds to non-entitlement units of local government in proportion to population. Non-entitlement units must have a valid DUNS number to meet reporting requirements under the program. You can check if your city has a DUNS number by visiting SAM.gov. If a city does not have a valid DUNS number, please visit https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform or call 1-866-705-5711 to begin the registration process. Cal Cities has reached out to the California Department of Finance to discuss the process that they will take to pass-through this funding. We do not have any information to share at this time and we will provide further information as we learn more on the state procedure.
The U.S. Department of Treasury has indicated that program guidance for Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund will be released in the coming weeks. If you have any questions regarding this process, you can email the U.S. Department of Treasury help desk at OfficeOfRecoveryPrograms@treasury.gov.
Please send all other questions to covid-19@calcities.org. For more information on guidelines, resources, and opportunities that will be provided in the coming weeks and months as we chart our path to recovery from this pandemic, visit Cal Cities’ new Guide to Local Recovery webpage.