2021 Emergency Solutions Grant Program (ESG)

ESG funds may be used for four primary activities: Street Outreach, Rapid Re-Housing Assistance, Emergency Shelter, and Homelessness Prevention. In addition, ESG funds may be used for associated Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) costs and administrative activities for some subrecipients. The ESG program provides funding for the following objectives: • Engaging individuals and families experiencing homelessness. • Improving the quality of Emergency Shelters (ES) for individuals and families experiencing homelessness by helping to operate these shelters, and by providing essential services to shelter residents;• Rapidly re-housing individuals and families experiencing homelessness; and• Preventing families/individuals from becoming homeless. The funds are distributed in two separate funding pools: the CoC allocation and the Balance of State (BoS) allocation. Funding in the BoS allocation is made available based on recommendations from a CoC in two ways: 1. Through regional competitions within three geographic regions (Northern Region, Bay Area Region, Central and Imperial Valley Region) pursuant to California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 25 CCR 8404 (a) (3); and 2. Through a noncompetitive process for Rapid Re-Housing (RR) activities. Continuum of Care Allocation:CoCs within this allocation have at least one city or county that receives ESG funds directly from HUD. Within the CoC Allocation, Administrative Entities (AEs) are selected by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to administer an allocation of funds provided through a formula for their service area. These AEs must be local governments of ESG Entitlement Areas and must commit to administering ESG funds in collaboration with their CoC throughout their CoC Service Area, including ensuring access to ESG funds by households living in Nonentitlement Areas. A minimum of 40 percent of each AE Allocation must be used for Rapid Rehousing activities. Eligible Applicants and Eligible Areas to Be Served:The Department subgrants its funding to subrecipients in Continuum of Care (CoC) service areas that have at least one jurisdiction that does not receive ESG funds directly from HUD (“Nonentitlement”). In the CoC Allocation, local governmental entities are eligible subrecipients, who in turn select homeless service providers to receive the funds. In the Balance of State Allocation, private nonprofit organizations or units of general purpose local government are eligible subrecipients that receive ESG funds directly from the Department. State ESG funded activities may serve the entire service area of the CoC, but must serve Nonentitlement areas within the service area. For a list of CoC Service Areas eligible to participate in the State’s ESG program, refer to Appendix A of the current NOFA.