YWCA NCW has served as the Regional Facilitator for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) in Chelan and Douglas Counties, coordinating the local board and overseeing the distribution of federal funds to agencies providing emergency food and shelter assistance.

Although Congress appropriated EFSP funding for FY 2025, those funds have been frozen since January 2025. As a result, no new EFSP funds have been available for distribution in our region.

Over the past 16 months, there has been little communication regarding the status of the program. EFSP continues to operate. In the recent Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026, EFSP was awarded $123.5 million. During the partial Federal Government shutdown, funding to the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were on hiatus, which impacted the EFSP. Since the end of the shutdown and passing of the DHS funding appropriation, FEMA has resumed their work on EFSP. The National Board will meet and decisions regarding allocations will be made so that funds can be awarded to Local Boards and SSA Committees expeditiously.

In the interim, EFSP staff continue to perform to ensure work of the program progresses.

If you have any questions or are interested in finding out more about advocating for this crucial program, send us a message via the form below, and we’ll connect with you as soon as we can.