The Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program helps individuals and families quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis or homelessness.  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development makes these funds available to eligible private nonprofit organizations through a competitive solicitation and procurement process. 

ESG funds are available for the following program components:

• Street Outreach (SO): funds may cover costs related to essential services for unsheltered persons (including emergency health or mental health care, engagement, case management, and services for special populations).

• Emergency Shelter (ES): funds may be used for renovation of emergency shelter facilities and the operation of those facilities, as well as services for the residents (including case management, child care, education, employment assistance and job training, legal, mental health, substance abuse treatment, transportation, and services for special populations).

• Homelessness Prevention (HP) and Rapid Re-Housing (RRH): both components fund housing relocation and stabilization services (including rental application fees, security deposits, utility deposits or payments, last month’s rent and housing search and placement activities). Funds may also be used for short- or medium-term rental assistance for those who are at-risk of becoming homeless or transitioning to stable housing after homelessness occurs. The difference in which source of funds is to be used for assistance is based on whether the assistance occurs prior to a person becoming homeless or after.

• Data Collection – Homeless Management Information System (HMIS): funds may be used to pay the costs of participating in and contributing data to the HMIS designated by the Continuum of Care for the area. Eligible activities include computer hardware, software, or equipment, technical support, office space, salaries of operators, staff training costs, and participation fees.