Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG)

What is the Emergency Solutions Grant? (ESG)

The Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program was finalized after the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act was amended by the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH Act).  The name, Emergency Solutions Grants program, reflects the idea of assisting people to acquire stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness.

What is the purpose?

The ESG program provides grant funding to (1) engage homeless individuals and families living on the street, (2) rapidly re-house homeless individuals and families, (3) help operate and provide essential services in emergency shelters for homeless individuals and families, and (4) prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless.

Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Notice of Funding Availability -- FY 2022

On June 13, 2022, the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) released a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program. HCD receives funding from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to fund this program. The ESG Program is designed to provide funding for nonprofit providers and local governments to quickly rehouse individuals and families experiencing homelessness while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused by homelessness.

The Yolo County Homeless and Poverty Action Coalition (HPAC) is responsible for providing a local competition, if necessary, to determine which local projects will be recommended to HCD for funding. On June 29, 2022 HPAC approved the 2022 ESG Timeline and Selection Process and on July 1, 2022 sent this notice to the list of HPAC affiliates.

Project Selection Process

Providers wishing to apply for ESG funding needed to submit a mandatory Notice of Intent by noon on Friday, July 8, 2022. HPAC received two Notices of Intent.

Empower Yolo, Inc applied for $154,878 from the Non-Competitive-Rapid Rehousing (NC-RR) category and Fourth and Hope applied for $200,000 from the Regional Competition (RC) category. Because only one application was received in each category, HPAC did not hold a local selection process.

On July 27, HPAC took the following actions:

Recommended that Empower Yolo, Inc. and Yolo Wayfarer Center (Christian Mission) dba Fourth and Hope to HCD as the approved providers for the 2022 ESG funding in their respective categories

Authorized the HPAC consultants to complete the ESG electronic application on behalf of HPAC and to provide the two applicants with necessary system-wide information for their respective applications

Authorized HPAC Chair to submit a letter to HCD certifying that the local ESG process was fair and equitable

ESG Recommended Projects

Empower Yolo, Inc.

Intended Funding Option:  Balance of State Non-Competitive-Rapid Rehousing (NC-RR) Category

Activity: Rapid Rehousing including the 10% set aside for Homeless Prevention

Funding Request:  $154,878

Fourth and Hope

Intended Funding Option:  Balance of State Regional Competition (RC)

Activity:  Emergency Shelter

Funding Request: $200,000