Overview

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) was a New Deal agency established in 1933 to provide rapid federal assistance during the Great Depression. Created under the Federal Emergency Relief Act and launched by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, FERA's purpose was to channel federal money to states and localities for direct relief and short-term work programs that would relieve widespread unemployment and poverty.

Organization and leadership

FERA operated as a grants-in-aid program: the federal government awarded funds to state and municipal relief agencies, which then distributed aid or organized employment projects. The agency was directed by social worker Harry L. Hopkins, who emphasized speedy distribution, coordination with local authorities, and a mix of direct cash assistance and work relief. In many communities FERA also funded public health efforts, school lunch programs, and services for the unemployed.

Programs and activities

FERA supported a range of activities designed to meet immediate needs and create temporary jobs. Typical interventions included:

  • Direct cash relief to families unable to meet basic needs.
  • Work-relief projects creating unskilled jobs repairing schools, roads, parks and public buildings.
  • Education and vocational programs to assist adults and displaced workers.
  • Support for state welfare agencies and emergency shelters.

Scale, impact and transition

Between its founding in 1933 and its replacement in 1935, FERA distributed several billion dollars in aid to states and cities. Those funds helped millions receive food, clothing, and short-term employment; contemporary accounts and later reviews credit FERA with easing the immediate suffering of the Depression and laying administrative groundwork for larger New Deal relief efforts. In 1935 FERA's functions were largely superseded by larger, federally run programs such as the Works Progress Administration, which emphasized broader public-works employment.

Legacy and notable points

FERA is remembered for its rapid mobilization of federal resources at a time of crisis and for its pragmatic mix of relief and work. It illustrated debates that continued through the New Deal era—how much control should be exercised by Washington versus state and local governments, and how to balance direct aid with employment programs. Many of the projects and administrative practices developed under FERA informed later, longer-running relief and employment agencies.