The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 was a landmark piece of legislation designed to address the urgent economic and social challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among its many provisions, the CARES Act included significant funding for homelessness assistance programs through the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program. This funding, known as ESG-CV, aimed to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus among individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The ESG program itself is authorized by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and was amended by the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act.
Recognizing the heightened risks faced by vulnerable populations during the pandemic, the CARES Act provided two rounds of funding allocations for ESG-CV. These funds were distributed based on a formula that considered factors such as the total homeless population, unsheltered homeless individuals, and the number of very low-income renters at risk of homelessness. This ensured that areas with the greatest need received the necessary resources to combat homelessness amidst the public health crisis.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, through its Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), received a substantial second allocation of ESG-CV funds, totaling $19,930,907. A portion of this second round, specifically $2,997,961, was dedicated to a Code Blue program to provide crucial winter sheltering during the 2020-2021 season. The remaining $16,932,946 was made available for broader applications focused on rapidly resolving homelessness for vulnerable populations.
These ESG CARES Act funds are intended to support a wide range of activities crucial for addressing homelessness during a public health emergency. Eligible uses are broadly defined under the Emergency Solutions Grant Interim Rule and further clarified by Notice CPD 20-08. These funds are flexible and can be used for a single activity or a combination of activities to effectively prepare for, prevent the spread of, and respond to the coronavirus within homeless populations.
The activities eligible for funding under these Programs Under The Cares Act include:
- Emergency Shelter: Providing essential safe and sanitary emergency shelter for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
- Temporary Emergency Shelter: Establishing temporary shelter solutions to meet immediate needs during periods of increased demand or specific crises.
- Rapid Rehousing: Offering swift assistance to help homeless individuals and families secure stable housing in the community as quickly as possible.
- Homelessness Prevention: Implementing strategies and providing resources to prevent individuals and families at risk of homelessness from losing their housing.
- Landlord Incentives: Creating programs to encourage landlords to rent to individuals and families experiencing homelessness, addressing a key barrier to housing.
- Street Outreach: Conducting outreach activities to connect with unsheltered homeless individuals, providing them with essential services and pathways to shelter and housing.
- Hazard Pay: Providing hazard pay to frontline workers in homeless services who face increased risks due to the pandemic.
- Homeless Management Information System (HMIS): Supporting the use of HMIS to collect and analyze data on homelessness, improving service delivery and program effectiveness.
- Administration: Allocating funds for the administrative costs associated with managing and implementing ESG-CV programs.
Entities eligible to apply for these critical programs under the CARES Act included general-purpose units of local government within Pennsylvania, such as cities, boroughs, townships, and counties. Local governments could also apply on behalf of non-profit organizations. Non-profit organizations were eligible to apply for regional projects demonstrating a need across multiple counties, defined as serving more than one county.
Funding amounts available through ESG-CV ranged from a minimum of $25,000, with no maximum limit, allowing for projects of varying scales to address diverse community needs. Notably, no matching funds were required for awards granted under the ESG-CV program, making these resources even more accessible during a time of economic strain.
For those seeking further details, additional resources were made available, including documents outlining allowable activities under ESG CV Round 1 and a PowerPoint presentation from the ESG CV2 Application Webinar. These resources provided further guidance for potential applicants seeking to utilize programs under the CARES Act to address homelessness in their communities.
ESG CV 1: Allowable Activities
ESG CV2 Application PowerPoint
