Biden Extends Federal Reimbursement for COVID-19 Response

On Tuesday, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. directed his Administration to extend 100 percent federal reimbursement to states for eligible COVID-19 emergency response costs, including emergency medical care, non-congregate sheltering, and vaccination operations, through December 31, 2021. Tuesday’s action extends the order President Biden issued upon taking office directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fully reimburse states for COVID-19 response costs from January 2020 to September 30, 2021.

For California, this extension includes full reimbursement for state and local government operations of Project Roomkey through the end of the year. According to the Governor’s Office, the program has sheltered more than 42,000 people experiencing homelessness since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additional information from the White House is available here. A statement from the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom on the extension of Project Roomkey is available here.