Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)
The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH Act) amended the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, revising the Emergency Shelter Grants Program in significant ways and renaming it the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program. The ESG Interim Rule took effect on January 4, 2012. The change in the program’s name, from Emergency Shelter Grants to Emergency Solutions Grants, reflects the change in the program’s focus from addressing the needs of homeless people in emergency or transitional shelters to assisting people to quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness.
ESG eligible activities are street outreach, emergency shelters, navigation centers, and rapid re-housing.
The City of Salinas’ Community Development Department is Monterey and San Benito Counties’ local ESG administrative entity. As an entitlement jurisdiction, the City of Salinas receives its own allocation of ESG, in addition to the regional State ESG allocation for both counties. State ESG funding recommendations provided by the City must be approved by the Leadership Council, Monterey, and San Benito Counties’ Continuum of Care governing body.
Due to the pandemic, State ESG has released two additional waves of funding in addition to the annual renewal, significantly increasing the amount of funding for our community from $242,240 to $4,314,340.
Eligible Uses
- Street Outreach: Essential Services necessary to reach out to unsheltered homeless individuals and families
- Emergency Shelters: renovation, essential services, shelter operations, relocation assistance
- Rapid Re-housing: Housing relocation and stabilization services and short and/or medium-term rental assistance as necessary to help individuals or families living in an emergency shelter or other place
- Homelessness Prevention: Housing relocation and stabilization services and/or short and/or medium-term rental assistance necessary to prevent the individual or family from moving into an emergency shelter or another place; and
- HMIS: Grant funds may be used for certain Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and comparable database costs
For more information on the Emergency Solutions Grant, please visit the California Department of Housing and Community Development webpage
ESG Funded Projects
The Leadership Council authorized the following funding allocations:
2020-2021 STATE ESG
| Community Homeless Solutions | Salinas Warming Shelter | $132,527.00 |
| Central Coast Center for Independent Living | Rapid Re-Housing | $102,896.00 |
STATE ESG CV ROUND 1
| Community Homeless Solutions | Salinas Warming Shelter/Trailers | $60,405.00 |
| Community Homeless Solutions | Navigation and Sprung Shelter/Trailers | $60,405.00 |
| Central Coast Center for Independent Living | Rapid Re-Housing | $19,000.00 |
| Central Coast Center for Independent Living | Motel Vouchers | $47,500.00 |
| Central Coast Center for Independent Living | Homeless Prevention | $28,500.00 |
| Housing Resource Center | Motel Vouchers | $95,000.00 |
| San Benito County | HOME Resource Center | $81,190.00 |
| City of Salinas | Motel Vouchers | $150,000.00 |
| City of Salinas | Salinas Street Outreach and Food Distribution | $270,000.00 |
STATE ESG CV ROUND 2
| Bay Area Community Services | SHARE Center Emergency Shelter | $500,000.00 |
| Community Homeless Solutions | Rapid Re-Housing | $150,000.00 |
| Community Human Services | Casa de Noche Buena Emergency Shelter | $400,000.00 |
| Community Human Services | Rapid Re-Housing | $150,000.00 |
| CSUMB CHE | Homeless Engagement and Response Team (HEART) | $1,200,000.00 |
| Dorothy’s Place | Street Outreach | $236,300.00 |
| Housing Resource Center | Motel Vouchers | $150,000.00 |
| San Benito County | HOME Resource Center | $200,000.00 |
| San Benito County | Rapid Re-Housing | $125,000.00 |
*** A small percentage is set aside for administrative costs
The California Emergency Solutions and Housing (CESH)
The California Emergency Solutions and Housing (CESH) Program provides funds for a variety of activities to assist persons experiencing or at risk of homelessness as authorized by SB 850 (Chapter 48, Statues of 2018). The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) administers the CESH Program with funding received from the Building Homes and Jobs Act Trust Fund (SB 2, Chapter 364, Statutes of 2017)
Eligible Uses
CESH funds may be used for five primary activities:
- Rental assistance, housing relocation, and stabilization services to ensure housing affordability to individuals experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness.
- Operating subsidies for permanent housing for new and existing affordable permanent housing units for homeless individuals and/or families.
- Flexible housing subsidy funds for local programs that establish or support the provision of rental subsidies in permanent housing to assist homeless individuals and families.
- Operating support for emergency housing interventions for:
a) Navigation Center
b) Street outreach services
c) Shelter diversion; and - Systems support for homelessness services and housing delivery systems.
In addition, some administrative entities may use CESH funds to develop or update a Coordinated Entry System (CES), Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), or Homelessness Plan. Refer to the current Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for any limitations on these activities.
As with State ESG, the City of Salinas’ Community Development Dept. is the Administrative Entity for CESH funds which must be authorized by the Leadership Council.
For more information on the California Emergency Solutions and Housing Program, please visit the California Department of Housing and Community Development website
CESH Funded Projects
2020-2021 CESH Funding allocations are as follows:
| Central Coast Center for Independent Living | Rapid Re-Housing | $309,269.00 |
| Community Homeless Solutions | Trailers and Sprung Shelter | $169,910.00 |
| San Benito County | HOME Resource Center | $55,000.00 |