FEMA provides an additional $1.2 million for Utah COVID-19 response

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided $1.2 million in additional funding for COVID-19 response efforts in Utah. To date, FEMA has provided more than $56.6 million in public assistance funding for COVID-19 response in Utah. The assistance was made available under a major disaster declaration issued April 4, 2020.

The $1.2 million was provided to Salt Lake County for purchasing materials and supplies to support the county’s emergency feeding initiative. Additionally, funds were provided for contracted services with local food banks and other organizations to provide and distribute meals to vulnerable community members,, including individuals who test positive for COVID-19, those who have been exposed but do not require hospitalization and high-risk individuals over the age of 65 or with underlying health conditions. Funding for this project is authorized under Section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Act.

FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides funding for emergency actions undertaken by communities to protect public safety, providing at least a 75 percent funding share for eligible costs. Remaining costs are the responsibility of the state and local applicants for assistance.

For the COVID-19 response, FEMA has simplified the application and funding process to address the magnitude of this event and to allow local officials to receive eligible funding more quickly. Additional information about the program can be found at www.fema.gov/assistance/public.