• SSBG 2007 |
• Executive Summary|
• Chapter 1|
• Chapter 2|
• Chapter 3|
• Chapter 4|
• Chapter 5|
• Chapter 6|
• Appendices

CHAPTER 5. SSBG SUPPLEMENTAL EMERGENCY FUND

The 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes caused unprecedented destruction and loss of life in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. The storm devastated a 90,000 square-mile area and carved a wide swath of catastrophic damage in the Florida panhandle, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas. [26] States across the nation that receive SSBG funds are continuing to provide assistance to people and communities that were devastated and dislocated by the 2005 Gulf Coast Hurricanes using the SSBG Supplemental Emergency Fund. This chapter reports on the States’ use of these funds.

SSBG Supplemental Emergency Fund

A total of $550 million was awarded to the 50 States and the District of Columbia through a supplemental appropriation to the SSBG program. [27] This one-time supplemental allotment could be used to provide services in any of the 29 SSBG service categories. In addition, the funds also could be used for health services (including mental health services) and for costs associated with the repair, renovation, and construction of health and mental health facilities used to provide services to victims of the hurricanes. [28] There are two qualifying points when using SSBG Supplemental funding for repair, renovation, or construction:

1. The State must apply its administrative standards when issuing subawards to guarantee the protection and disposition of real estate rebuilt, constructed, or purchased with grant funds.
2. The State is required to file a Notice of Federal Interest to officially recognize the Federal government’s continuing financial interest in the property. [29]

The funds were disbursed to all 50 States and the District of Columbia during February 2006. The allocation amount of these funds was based on the percentage of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) enrollees from each of the hurricanes in a State, multiplied by the percentage of individuals in poverty in the State. Enrollees from Hurricane Katrina were double-weighted.

Five States—Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas—were greatly impacted by the hurricanes and therefore received the largest SSBG supplemental allocations. These States received 94% of the SSBG Supplemental Emergency Funds. Figure 5–1 shows the percentage of supplemental allocations by State for the five most impacted States. Appendix G, table G–1, provides allocation data for all States.

While States initially had until September 30, 2007 to expend these supplemental funds, Congress enacted legislation in 2007 to extend the deadline to September 30, 2009. [30] Table 5–1 summarizes the reporting requirements for ssbg supplemental funds. On September 18, 2008, the Office of Community Services (ocs) issued an information memorandum providing guidance to the States regarding the time limitations on the use of remaining ssbg Supplemental Emergency Funds and instructions for the return of unobligated funds. [31]

Overall Expenditures

As of the end of the Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2007, 58% of the SSBG Supplemental Emergency Funds have been used. In FFY 2006, 24 States spent more than $79 million of the SSBG Supplemental Emergency Funds. In FFY 2007, 14 States spent an additional $240 million of the SSBG Supplemental Emergency Fund. (See Table 5–2).

As of FFY 2007, eight States have used all of the SSBG Supplemental Emergency Funds. Twenty-two States have not used any of the funds. Of the remaining States, eight States have used 50% or more of the funds and thirteen States have used less than 50% of the funds.

Expenditures by the Five Most-Impacted States

Five States—Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas—were the most heavily impacted by the Gulf Coast hurricanes. Figure 5–2 highlights supplemental expenditures for these five States. These States have spent a total of $237 million of the SSBG supplemental funds, which accounts for 99% of the funds spent in 2007, and overall accounts for 96% ($305,295,292) of the funds spent, to date.

Expenditures by Service

As of the end of FFY 2007, the majority of supplemental funds were spent on other services ($99 million), education and training ($59 million), counseling services ($37 million), and health-related services ($33 million). States spent supplemental funds on all 29 SSBG service categories and on administrative costs. In FFY 2006, no supplemental funds were used for family planning services, legal services, pregnancy and parenting services, recreation services, residential treatment services, or special services for youth at risk. As of September 30, 2007, those five service categories accounted for 1% of funds spent. Table 5–3 shows supplemental expenditures by service.

FFY 2007 Expenditures

The following section focuses on the expenditures of SSBG Supplemental Emergency Fund in FFY 2007 for all States.

Expenditures by State

In FFY 2007, 14 States spent more than $240 million of the SSBG Supplemental Emergency Funds, which accounts for 44% of the total supplemental allocation of $550 million. Table 5–4 shows the supplemental allocations, FFY 2007 supplemental expenditures, and percentage of allocation expended as of the end of FFY 2007 for these 14 States.

Expenditures by Service

This section describes the expenditures of SSBG Supplemental Emergency Funds in FFY 2007 by service for the 14 States. States spent supplemental funds on all SSBG service categories and on administrative costs. The majority of supplemental funds were spent on other services ($88 million in nine States), counseling services ($37 million in six States), health-related services ($30 million in eight States), case management services ($18 million in six States), child foster care services ($13 million in two States), and substance abuse services ($12 million in two States). Table 5–5 shows supplemental expenditures by service. Appendix G, table 2, details the services that were provided with supplemental funds for each State.

The summaries for the service categories with the highest expenditures are influenced heavily by the expenditures of four of the five most impacted States—Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas. For example:

• Louisiana spent $33,927,059 for counseling services, which accounts for 92% of the expenditures for this service in FFY 2007.
• Mississippi spent $64,469,895 for other services, which accounts for 74% of all expenditures for this service in FFY 2007.
• Combined, the States of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas spent $77,758,061 for other services, which is 89% of all expenditures for this service category.

Thirteen States reported using supplemental funds for the service category of other services. States reported that funds were used under this category for services such as food, shelter, and clothing. Two States—Alabama and Mississippi—reported using the SSBG category of other services for construction and repairs.

• Alabama spent almost $9 million in supplemental funds on construction, which is 48% of the State’s total FFY 2007 supplemental expenditures.
• Mississippi spent almost $70 million in supplemental funds on construction, which is all of the State’s supplemental expenditures for FFY 2007.

Table 5–6 shows how SSBG Supplemental Emergency Funds were used by specific States for other services.

Service Recipients

States reported that an estimated 659,290 individuals (19% children, 81% adults) received services funded by the SSBG Supplemental Emergency Fund in FFY 2007. The number of individuals that received services increased from 18,067 in 2006 (See Appendix G, table G-3). Two States—Texas and Louisiana—had the largest number of recipients served in 2007. Texas reported 286,656 (56,331 children; 229,991 adults) recipients, and Louisiana reported 272,395 (51,331 children; 221,064 adults) recipients. Two States—Arkansas, and Mississippi—provided incomplete recipient data. Table 5–7 shows the reported number of children and adults served by SSBG supplemental emergency funds in FFY 2007.

Continue to Chapter6

• SSBG 2007 |
• Executive Summary|
• Chapter 1|
• Chapter 2|
• Chapter 3|
• Chapter 4|
• Chapter 5|
• Chapter 6|
• Appendices