Georgia Department of Community Affairs

The Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program provides street outreach, emergency shelter, rapid re-housing, homelessness prevention, and related services to persons experiencing homelessness or in danger of becoming homeless throughout the state. 

Sub-awards are provided to local government entities and non-profit organizations utilizing State Housing Trust Fund for the Homeless Commission (HTF) and Federal HUD ESG funds.  These agencies then deliver program services at the local level.  This program is principally designed to operate within a continuum of assistance that enables individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to move toward housing sustainability.

ESG Homeless Prevention

According to HUD ESG regulations, ESG funds may be used to provide housing relocation and stabilization services and short- and/or medium-term rental assistance necessary to prevent an individual or family from moving into an emergency shelter or another place described in paragraph (1) of the ‘‘homeless’’ definition in § 576.2. The costs of homelessness prevention are only eligible to the extent that the assistance is necessary to help the project participant regain stability in the project participant’s current permanent housing or move into other permanent housing and achieve stability in that housing.

Applicants may apply for a minimum award of $30,000.

Application Reminders

Grantees must serve only persons who are “at risk of homelessness,” or who meet Category 2 of homelessness as defined at 24 CFR 576.

At risk of homelessness means: (1) An individual or family who:

(i) Has an annual income below 30 percent of median family income for the area, as determined by HUD;

(ii) Does not have sufficient resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith-based or other social networks, immediately available to prevent them from moving to an emergency shelter or another place described in paragraph (1) of the ‘‘homeless’’ definition in this section; AND

(iii) Meets one of the following 7 conditions:

(A) Has moved because of economic reasons two or more times during the 60 days immediately preceding the application for homelessness prevention assistance;

(B) Is living in the home of another because of economic hardship;

(C) Has been notified in writing that their right to occupy their current housing or living situation will be terminated within 21 days after the date of application for assistance;

(D) Lives in a hotel or motel and the cost of the hotel or motel stay is not paid by charitable organizations or by Federal, State, or local government pr grams for low-income individuals;

(E) Lives in a single-room occupancy or efficiency apartment unit in which there reside more than two persons or lives in a larger housing unit in which there reside more than 1.5 persons reside per room, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau;

(F) Is exiting a publicly funded institution, or system of care (such as a health-care facility, a mental health facility, foster care or other youth facility, or correction program or institution); or

(G) Otherwise lives in housing that has characteristics associated with instability and an increased risk of homelessness, as identified in the recipient’s approved consolidated plan;

OR (2) An individual or family who will imminently lose their primary nighttime residence, provided that:

(i) The primary nighttime residence will be lost within 14 days of the date of application for homeless assistance;

(ii) No subsequent residence has been identified; and

(iii) The individual or family lacks the resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith-based or other social networks, needed to obtain other permanent housing;

By regulation, ESG funds may be used to provide housing relocation and stabilization services and short- and/or medium-term rental assistance necessary to prevent an individual or family from moving into an emergency shelter or another place described in paragraph (1) of the ‘‘homeless’’ definition in § 576.2. The costs of homelessness prevention are only eligible to the extent that the assistance is necessary to help the project participant regain stability in the project participant’s current permanent housing or move into other permanent housing and achieve stability in that housing.