FEMA Awards Funds to Massachusetts for COVID School Testing Costs

08:00AM / Saturday, February 10, 2024Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending more than $64 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse it for the cost of contracting to provide testing services in public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $64,144,440 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services for the cost of contracting to provide testing at schools and in public buildings in surrounding communities between February 2021 and June 2022.

The contractor provided services which included operations and logistics of pooled testing, training, software, and technical assistance to school personnel.

The contractor also provided transportation for a total of 907,829 COVID-19 test specimens from approximately 2,400 public schools across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to the laboratory for analysis.

"FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Massachusetts with these costs," said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. "Reimbursing state, county, and municipal governments – as well as eligible non-profits and tribal entities – for the costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic is an important part of our nation's ongoing recovery."

FEMA's Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.

So far, FEMA has provided more than $2.7 billion in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.

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Pittsfield Human Service Funding Applications Open Soon

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
06:16AM / Thursday, November 05, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Applications for human services funding open next week, and membership space is available for anyone who wants to be involved in the process.

Last week, the Human Services Advisory Council laid out a timeline for the next year's grant awards. It provides funding recommendations to the mayor on how Pittsfield should allocate its human services funding, a mix of Community Development Block Grants and general fund money.

Request for proposal applications will be available at the Department of Community Development on Nov. 9; there will be three bidders conferences in November and December, and public comment on human service needs will begin in the new year.

Proposals are due to the Department of Community Development on Jan. 8, 2027. The public comment period closes at the end of January, and in the spring, the Human Services Advisory Council will recommend funding.

"We typically get about 20 to 30 applications each year," reported Nate Joyner, Pittsfield's community development and housing program manager.

He explained that the schedule of activities proposed for the upcoming cycle is similar to last year. Though, any references to American Rescue Plan Act funding were removed, as the nearly $41 million funding infusion during the COVID-19 pandemic has been exhausted.

The council will also need a new chair, as Rosalind Kopfstein has retired. In January, it will vote on nominations. Jenny Bell was welcomed as a new member at the Oct. 29 virtual meeting, and there are additional openings.

Last year's human service funding benefitted more than 4,000 community members. A total of $154,500 in CDBG funds was allocated to 13 different agencies, and $51,750 from the city general fund was granted to ten agencies.

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