Topic Question
Emergency Shelter

Can a day shelter be funded as an emergency shelter under ESG?

ESG funds can be used for day shelters that meet the criteria under the emergency shelter definition in section 576.2, which provides:   "Emergency shelter means any facility, the primary purpose of which is to provide a temporary shelter for the homeless in general or for specific populations of the homeless and which does not require occupants to sign leases or occupancy agreements. Any project funded as an emergency shelter under a Fiscal...
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Emergency Shelter

Can a Transitional Facility be eligible to receive ESG funds?

ESG funds may be used for:  Providing essential services to homeless families and individuals in emergency shelters;  Renovating buildings to be used as emergency shelter for homeless families and individuals; and  Operating emergency shelters. Because these costs are focused on emergency shelter, a transitional facility will only be eligible to receive ESG funds for these costs if:  1. It meets BOTH of the following criteri...
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Financial and Grants Management - General

Are employee compensation (including fringe benefits such as holiday, vacation, sick leave) and other overhead costs eligible expenses under the ESG program? How should these costs be allocated?

Employee compensation (including fringe benefits such as holiday, vacation, sick leave) and other overhead costs directly related to carrying out activities eligible under an ESG component are eligible costs under that component (see 24 CFR § 576.100(d)). Determining how these staff costs should be allocated will depend on the type of assistance being provided to the program participant. To allocate these costs, first determine the program compo...
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Financial and Grants Management - General

Can recipients and subrecipients procure services from for-profit and other organizations?

Yes, recipients and subrecipients may procure services from any organization, including for-profit organizations, as long as recipients follow 24 CFR § 85.36, and nonprofit subrecipients follow 24 CFR § 84.40 – 84.48. For example, a shelter may use ESG operating costs to pay for trash removal by a for-profit business.

Financial and Grants Management - General
Financial and Grants Management - General

Can an ESG recipient or subrecipient subgrant ESG funds to a public housing authority (PHA) or Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA)?

The Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016, Public Law 114-201 (HOTMA) amended the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to permit units of general purpose local government to sub-award their ESG funds to Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and Local Redevelopment Authorities (LRAs). The statutory authority to sub-award Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program funds to a PHA or LRA applies to all ESG Program grant funds, including fund...
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Invoicing/processing payments

Do subrecipients need to keep separate cost centers (or coding) for ESG funds? Do timesheets need to be broken down by actual time worked and charged accordingly (rather than by percent)?

Actual time must be charged to federal grants. The exact methodology for tracking the time that staff worked on federal grants and on components within a federal grant is at the discretion of the recipient. However, recipients and subrecipients must be able to justify and document the methodology used, and it must be reasonable and well-documented. The OMB Circulars do not require that recipients track actual time by ESG component, but there must...
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Invoicing/processing payments

Must timesheets be used to track ESG funds or is it acceptable to use other methods, such as cost allocation plans, time studies, or certifications of time spent?

Timesheets that capture actual time spent on specific programs are the most straightforward way to meet time reporting requirements. However, other approaches may be acceptable as long as they meet the guidelines established in Circular A-87 Appendix B(8)(H) for States or units of local government or Circular A-122 Appendix B(8)(m) for nonprofit organizations.

Invoicing/processing payments
Obligation and Expenditure

What are the deadlines for spending and drawing down ESG funds? Are recipients allowed additional time, after the expenditure deadline, to draw down funds?

Recipients have two years from the date HUD signed the grant agreement to expend all ESG funds. Per 24 CFR 576.203(b), “expended” means that all eligible costs must be incurred by that date. Recipients may draw down funds after the 2-year expenditure deadline for eligible expenses incurred before that date.

Obligation and Expenditure
Coordinated Entry

How can CoCs ensure they are taking the needs of all youth into consideration while developing a CE process? What is the role of stakeholders not exclusively dedicated to serving youth experiencing homelessness (e.g., schools, justice, health, and behavioral health providers)?

An inclusive and responsive coordinated entry (CE) process for all youth can only be achieved through widespread stakeholder participation in planning and implementing CE. To ensure that the CE process incorporates the needs of youth, the planning and implementation process needs to include: Youth experiencing homelessness; Youth homeless assistance providers including those funded by the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act; Child welfare systems and...
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Coordinated Entry

Has HUD published guidance about what it expects communities to report regarding coordinated entry?

No - HUD is not currently requiring reports for coordinated entry. However, HUD is working on guidance specific to coordinated entry and HMIS for both project set-up and reporting, which it will issue in the near future. Communities should ensure that their HMIS is programmed to the 2014 HMIS Data Standards.

Coordinated Entry
Coordinated Entry

Our CoC uses a module outside of our HMIS to collect assessment data as part of our coordinated entry process; is this permissible?

Yes - However, it is important to note that data collected for assessment—which could be as simple as scores from assessment tools or something more complex—is not necessarily the same as data collected for HMIS. To the extent that the data overlaps and if your CoC plans to import the data into the HMIS at any point, the CoC must ensure that the module meets all HMIS data and technical standards (i.e., the data collected complies with th...
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Coordinated Entry

Are CoCs required to use their HMIS in their coordinated entry process?

No - HUD does not require CoCs to use their HMIS as part of their coordinated entry process. However, many communities recognize the benefit of using this option and have incorporated HMIS into their coordinated entry process. HUD is encouraging communities to consider using HMIS but recognizes that other systems might be better or more quickly able to meet the community’s coordinated entry needs, which is acceptable so long as the co...
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Coordinated Entry

Our CoC’s HMIS is closed and the data is only seen by the provider entering it into the HMIS. Can recipients and subrecipients still use our HMIS in our coordinated entry process?

Depends - HUD recognizes that many HMIS implementations are closed and do not share data across providers. While it is possible to use a closed HMIS as a tool in your coordinated entry process, functionality will vary by system. Your organization should work with the HMIS Lead and HMIS vendor to determine if using the HMIS for the coordinated entry process is possible in your community.

Coordinated Entry
Coordinated Entry

Is it permissible for recipients and subrecipients to use CoC or ESG funds to pay to update their HMIS to become part of our coordinated entry process?

Yes - HMIS funds in the CoC and ESG Programs may be used to pay for coordinated entry, but only to the extent that the coordinated entry is integrated in the CoC’s HMIS. Per 24 CFR 576.107(a)(2) and 24 CFR 578.57(b) HMIS Leads may use funds to pay to customize or enhance the CoC’s HMIS to integrate coordinated entry. Additionally, per 24 CFR 576.107(a)(1) and 24 CFR 578.57(a), all recipients and subrecipients contributing data to the HMIS may...
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Coordinated Entry

How is the CE “Assessment” connected to the comprehensive screening and assessment processes often implemented in youth and health service related contexts?

The primary purpose of the coordinated entry (CE) standardized assessment process is to gather information necessary to determine the severity of a youth’s needs and their eligibility for housing and services in a way that utilizes their strengths and is based on evidence of the risk of becoming or remaining homeless. The CE assessment should gather information on factors that can help systems prevent youth from experiencing homelessness or end...
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Coordinated Entry

Is family reunification an appropriate referral within CE?

Yes. In many situations, family reunification is an appropriate referral within coordinated entry (CE), provided that the family home is a safe and stable environment. Family reunification should be a primary referral option for youth under 18, where only a small percentage may be most appropriately served by an independent, safe, and stable housing situation, and many youth 18 and older will also benefit from family reunification services. The C...
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Coordinated Entry

What is the role of Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) providers in the development and implementation of a CE entry process?

RHY programs, whether they are funded federally or privately, are an integral part of many communities’ efforts to prevent and end homelessness. It is therefore vitally important for all RHY providers to be integrated into their community’s Continuum of Care (CoC), to be at the table to provide input, and to help ensure that the coordinated entry (CE) process is fully responsive to the needs of youth experiencing homelessness. In addition to ...
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Coordinated Entry

What populations of youth experiencing homelessness and who have runaway should be part of the CE process?

Under current regulations, coordinated entry (CE), at a minimum, must serve youth defined as homeless and at-risk of homelessness by HUD. However, HUD and HHS strongly encourage communities to also include youth considered homeless or runaway by other federal definitions*. The CE process will encounter youth when they are in various stages of experiencing a housing-related crisis and should be designed to accommodate a broad range of youth who ar...
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Coordinated Entry

How can we make sure that the CE process is appropriate for youth?

Regardless of whether it is through a youth-specific coordinated entry (CE) process or a single CE process serving all populations, including youth, there are critical youth factors for communities to consider when developing a CE process to ensure it is appropriate for youth. Several of these considerations are: Youth-Centered: The CE process should be built on relationships between adults and youth that are empowering to youth and based on pos...
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Coordinated Entry

How can the CE referral process ensure that youth are referred to appropriate housing and services?

In order to ensure that youth are referred to appropriate housing and services, a broad array of youth focused housing and services need to be included among all of the resources available to the coordinated entry (CE) process. Youth who have been assessed for housing and services need to know exactly which program they are being referred to, what will be expected of them, and what they should expect from the program. Providers and caseworkers kn...
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Coordinated Entry

How does prioritization account for the unique experiences and vulnerabilities of youth?

Prioritization ensures that youth with the most severe service needs and levels of vulnerability are prioritized for limited housing and homeless assistance resources that meet their needs and strengths and is the process by which a youth is placed in a relative order for referral to different types of housing and services. As discussed in FAQ 2940, runaway and homeless youth (RHY) and other youth providers should play an active role in the Conti...
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Coordinated Entry

How can youth providers or other community partners participate as an access point for coordinated entry (CE)?

There are several models for access points which include, but are not limited to, the following: “Single point of access” at one central community location, sometimes referred to as centralized intake;   “Multisite centralized access” at several locations in a community, sometimes referred to as hubs or a hybrid approach, that can serve all or certain special populations;   “No wrong door” available on location at any commu...
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Coordinated Entry

How does a CE process work for youth experiencing homelessness?

A coordinated entry (CE) process standardizes and coordinates the way youth access the community’s homelessness crisis response system and connect with the appropriate resources they need to achieve safety and stability. The process should ensure that youth receive the housing and service supports they need to resolve their homelessness crisis as quickly as possible, with the lowest possible barriers. The CE process should be able to answer the...
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Coordinated Entry

Can our coordinated entry (CE) process establish a separate assessment process for youth?

Yes. As described in the February 2015 HUD Coordinated Entry Policy Brief, it may be appropriate, though not required, for communities to establish processes, “including different access points and screening and assessment tools,” for four specific groups only: Youth;   Families;   Individuals; and   Victims of Domestic Violence (including trafficked youth, victims of other forms of abuse and exploitation, and youth fleeing or...
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Coordinated Entry

Why should my community develop a CE process for youth?

Federal partners have recently identified coordinated entry (CE) as a key component of the coordinated community response to prevent and end youth homelessness in 2020. CE is also required for all housing programs receiving HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) and Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) funding and strongly recommended for all of a community’s homelessness-dedicated resources. In order for these community-wide processes to appropriately serve ...
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Coordinated Entry

Does HUD require an assessment form or tool that our CoC can use?

Although HUD does not endorse or require the use of any specific assessment form, tool, or approach, it has described some universal qualities that should be incorporated into any form, tool, or approach used by a Continuum of Care (CoC) for its coordinated entry process. See HUD’s Coordinated Entry Policy Brief for a full description of these qualities and criteria. HUD recognizes the need for further guidance as both the process and the tools...
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Coordinated Entry

If our CoC chooses to create a separate coordinated entry process for victims of domestic violence, what should it look like?

If the Continuum of Care (CoC) chooses to create a separate coordinated entry process for people fleeing domestic violence, including separate access points, that process must be developed in coordination with local victim service providers, adhere to the same requirements as the broader coordinated entry process, and be designed according to the qualities outlined in the Coordinated Entry Policy Brief, with the only difference being that it is t...
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Coordinated Entry

How can our CoC serve victims of domestic violence when our coordinated entry location is known to the entire community, potentially endangering those victim households?

Continuums of Care (CoCs) will find the victim service providers and state domestic and sexual violence coalitions in their communities to be excellent resources in developing a coordinated entry process that has protocols in place to ensure the safety of the individuals seeking assistance. CoCs should engage with these organizations as well as other experienced stakeholders and providers to determine the best options for victims fleeing domestic...
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Coordinated Entry

What safeguards must our CoC build into our coordinated entry process to protect victims of domestic violence?

Domestic violence is often very traumatic for households, including children exposed to domestic violence. It is imperative that coordinated entry processes be designed to prevent further trauma and to provide households with control over the process and referrals. Trauma-informed practices that are sensitive to the lived experience of all people presenting for services need to be incorporated into every aspect of the coordinated entry process. T...
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Coordinated Entry

How do coordinated entry staff determine when domestic violence or trauma experiences are best addressed by a victim service provider rather than a general homeless assistance provider?

Individuals and families fleeing or healing from domestic violence or trauma should have access to the full range of housing and service intervention options available in their community, including prevention, diversion, rapid re-housing, and other housing and mainstream services. However, special consideration must be given to their unique and often complex physical and emotional safety needs. In particular, they might benefit from participation...
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Coordinated Entry

Is it permissible for a victim service provider to participate in their Continuum of Care’s coordinated entry process?

Yes - HUD allows and actively promotes the full participation and integration of victim service providers into the Continuum of Care (CoC) coordinated entry process. The form this integration takes will vary by community, but the overarching goal is for individuals and families presenting to the homeless and victim services system to have full and complete access to the housing and service resources available through both systems. Specifical...
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Coordinated Entry

How does HUD define victim service provider?

HUD defines a victim service provider to mean a private nonprofit organization whose primary mission is to provide direct services to victims of domestic violence. This term includes permanent housing providers—including rapid re-housing, domestic violence programs (shelters and non-residential), domestic violence transitional housing programs, dual domestic violence and sexual assault programs, and related advocacy and supportive services programs.

Coordinated Entry
Coordinated Entry

Is it permissible to include Domestic Violence providers in the coordinated entry process if the CoC uses HMIS as a tool?

Yes - While victim service providers are prohibited from entering personally identifying information into HMIS, HUD is encouraging CoCs to work with their victim services providers to establish either a process for their participation in the CoC’s coordinated entry process or establish their own coordinated entry process outside of the HMIS. It is important that this process provides access to all available housing and services regardless of wh...
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Coordinated Entry

Is it permissible for households once served by a victim service provider who then enter a non-victim service provider project to withhold consent to have their data shared via HMIS?

Yes - All households, regardless of their domestic violence (DV) status, have the right to refuse to share their information among providers within the Continuum of Care (CoC). In fact, all service providers are prohibited from denying assistance to program applicants and program participants if they refuse to permit the provider to share their information with other providers. However, some information may be required by the project, or by publi...
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Definition of Homelessness

Does the criteria that “The primary nighttime residence will be lost within 14 days of the date of application for homeless assistance” apply when an individual or family who is living with someone is told they need to move out in a week?

Yes, as long as they meet all of the other requirements of category 2 of the homeless definition. The second category of the definition of homeless includes individuals and families who are within 14 days of losing their housing, including housing they own, rent, are sharing with others, or are living in without paying rent. It also includes individuals and families who are living in hotels and motels that they are paying for using their own reso...
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Definition of Homelessness

The Homeless Definition final rule has a typo (pg 75977) that written documentation of disability includes written verification from a professional licensed by the state to diagnose and treat the condition AND written verification from the SSA or the receipt of disability check.

The regulatory text found on page 76016 and page 76019 contain the correct requirements. These sections indicate that acceptable evidence of a disability includes: Written verification of the disability from a professional licensed by the state to diagnose and treat the disability and his or her certification that the disability is expected to be long-continuing or of indefinite duration and substantially impedes the individual’s ability to li...
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Definition of Homelessness

Are youth who are within 14 days of exiting the foster care system who have not identified other permanent housing and have no other resources or support networks to obtain permanent housing defined as homeless under Category 2 of the definition of homeless?

No. Youth who are within 14 days of exiting the foster care system who have not identified other permanent housing and who have no other resources or support networks to obtain permanent housing are not defined as homeless under Category 2 of the definition of homeless. This is different than how HUD operationalized eligibility for Transitional Housing and Supportive Service Only projects under the Supportive Housing Program. The HEARTH...
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Definition of Homelessness

Is an individual or family that is receiving Rapid Re-Housing Assistance considered chronically homeless for purposes of remaining eligible for permanent housing placements dedicated to serving the chronically homeless?

Yes. Program participants that are receiving Rapid Re-Housing Assistance through programs such as the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program, the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program, the Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) Program, or the Veterans Homelessness Prevention Demonstration Program (VHPD) maintain their chronically homeless status for the purpose of eligibility for other permanent housing programs dedicated to serving the ch...
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Definition of Homelessness

Is an individual or family that is receiving Rapid Re-Housing Assistance considered homeless for purposes of remaining eligible for other permanent housing placements?

Yes. Program participants that are receiving Rapid Re-Housing Assistance through programs such as the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program, the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program, the Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) Program, or the Veterans Homelessness Prevention Demonstration Program (VHPD) maintain their homeless status for the purpose of eligibility for other permanent housing programs, such as HUD-VASH and CoC-funded perman...
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Eligible Activities/Uses

What happens to a program participant’s security or utility deposit after they leave the program?

If a program participant leaves the program but remains in the unit for which the deposits were paid, the landlord will continue to hold the security deposit as provided in the lease, and the utility company will continue to hold any utility deposit as provided in the utility contract. The terms of the lease and state or local law will dictate what the landlord may do with the security deposit when the tenant leaves the unit. And the terms o...
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Eligible Activities/Uses

Is it allowable to use ESG funds to provide utility assistance to homeowners at risk of losing their utilities and/or becoming homeless?

Homeowners who meet ESG eligibility criteria may, under certain circumstances, receive utility payment assistance to cover the costs of utilities in the home that the individual/family owns.   While recipients can provide utility-only assistance, HUD expects that this will be rare. First, there are laws governing public utilities in many states that prevent utility companies from shutting off power to households during winter months and that...
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Eligible Activities/Uses

Is it allowable to use ESG funds to provide assistance with mortgage payments for homeowners through the Homelessness Prevention component?

No, ESG funds cannot be used to pay for mortgage payments.

Eligible Activities/Uses
Eligible Activities/Uses

Can ESG funds be used to pay for the vehicle registration or gasoline of an eligible program participant’s car as a moving expense?

ESG funds may not be used to pay for a program participant's vehicle registration or gas for a program participant's vehicle so that he/she may transport belongings to the new unit. However, the cost of gas could be covered for moving expenses, under § 576.105(a)(6)), if the ESG recipient or subrecipient is using its organization's vehicle or a moving van to assist a program participant in his/her move.

Eligible Activities/Uses
Eligible Activities/Uses

Can ESG funds be used to train staff on how to deliver services during the COVID-19 pandemic, including how to recognize symptoms, how to protect recipient staff from infection, and how to protect against spreading the virus while providing assistance?

Yes. Section 576.100(d) of the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program Interim Rule allows recipients or subrecipients to charge staff and overhead costs directly related to carrying out street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing, and HMIS as eligible costs of those program components. This means that to the extent staff need to be trained on how to work with individuals who may have contracted the virus or pre...
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Eligible Activities/Uses

Can ESG funds be used to cover additional fees and/or security deposits for a service animal?

Housing providers (e.g. landlords) may not charge fees for service animals, beyond a standard fee or security deposit that applies to all tenants who do not have pets. Therefore, ESG funds may not be used for this type of expense. If the service animal causes damage to a unit or a common area, the landlord or service provider may charge the tenant a fee to cover the damages (for damage costs above the amount covered by the security deposit), as l...
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Eligible Activities/Uses

Is “case management” that is commonly conducted to help households find stable housing under ESG, considered “housing counseling” for purposes of this rule?

Holistic case management for persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness is not housing counseling as defined in the Housing Counseling: New Certification Requirements Final Rule (“Final Rule”). Therefore, if an activity provided under the ESG program is part of holistic case management for persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, it is not housing counseling and certification is not required. However, th...
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Eligible Activities/Uses

Does housing counseling provided under the ESG program have to be provided by a HUD certified housing counselor?

Housing counseling is an eligible activity under the ESG program. If a recipient or subrecipient chooses to fund housing counseling, as defined in the Housing Counseling: New Certification Requirements Final Rule, under their program, the housing counseling must be provided by HUD certified housing counselors working for an agency approved to participate in HUD’s Housing Counseling Program, by the Final Compliance Date....
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Eligible Participants

How should recipients determine a family’s eligibility for assistance under the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program or for the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program when the individual members of the family are residing in different places upon presentation to the project?

Under HUD's Homeless Assistance Programs, persons presenting together for assistance regardless of marital status, actual or perceived sexual orientation, or gender identity are considered a family and can be served as a family in the ESG and CoC programs. In general, when determining the homeless status of families where the individual members are not residing together when they present for intake into the project (e.g. one parent is staying in ...
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Eligible Participants

If an ESG case manager learns that a program participant’s annual income has increased and now exceeds 30% of AMI, must the recipient/subrecipient immediately stop providing assistance to the program participant?

Whether a recipient/subrecipient must stop a program participant’s ESG assistance upon learning of an increase in income (or other change in household circumstances that may affect eligibility) depends upon whether the information is obtained through a re-evaluation, or through other means (e.g., case management).  If income over AMI is discovered during re-evaluation for homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing assistance:  Each ...
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Eligible Participants

Can I serve HPRP program participants with ESG?

For those program participants who, at the last recertification before HPRP ends, are not going to be able to remain stably housed without assistance, ESG funds may be used to help them after HPRP funds are no longer available. If that is the case, they must meet one of the seven criteria listed in category one of the at-risk of homelessness definition at 24 CFR 576.2. A complete eligibility/intake assessment must be conducted and includes having...
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Eligible Participants

How is the definition of ‘family’ that was included in the Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs – Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity apply to recipients and subrecipients of ESG and CoC Program funds?

The Equal Access Rule defines family as follows: Family includes, but is not limited to, regardless of marital status, actual or perceived sexual orientation, or gender identity, the following: A single person, who may be an elderly person, displaced person, disabled person, near-elderly person, or any other single person; or, A group of persons residing together, and such group includes, but is not limited to: A family with or without children...
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Expenditures and Recordkeeping

Does HUD have a preferred order for documenting eligibility in the ESG Program?

The recipient must document the eligibility of all program participants upon their intake to the program. In general, §576.500 of the ESG Program interim rule requires recipients to maintain and follow written intake procedures to determine compliance with the homeless definition found in §576.2. These procedures must require documentation at intake, of the evidence relied upon to establish and verify homeless status. The procedures must e...
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Expenditures and Recordkeeping

What is acceptable documentation of eligibility for homeless individuals and families at a nightly turnout emergency shelter, and when is it required?

The recordkeeping requirements found in §576.500 require recipients to maintain and follow written intake procedures to determine whether potential program participants meet the homeless definition found in §576.2. These procedures must require documentation at intake of the evidence relied upon to establish and verify homeless status.  Therefore, recipients and subrecipients are required to document eligibility at program entry, even for ...
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Expenditures and Recordkeeping

Can the records for ESG be retained in an electronic format or must hard copy records be retained?

Documentation of each program participant's qualification as homeless or at risk of homelessness and other program participant records must be retained in accordance with the requirements at 24 CFR part 576.500(y). Recipients/subrecipients may store files electronically, but must be able to produce records in hard copy upon request, or allow them to be viewed as part of an on-site or remote monitoring or audits conducted by designated federal age...
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Expenditures and Recordkeeping

Under the ESG program are we required to keep a record of all clients that we screened and classified as ineligible? If so should this information be entered into HMIS?

Yes, under the ESG program, you are required to keep a record of all clients that are screened and classified as ineligible. The ESG recordkeeping and reporting requirements state that for each individual and family determined ineligible to receive ESG assistance, the record must include documentation of the reason for that determination. (See 24 CFR § 576.500(d)). With regard to entering data into an HMIS, the ESG regulation does not require th...
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Expenditures and Recordkeeping

What are the required documents that need to be kept for a file of an ESG program participant?

Recipients and subrecipients should review the ESG regulation at §576.500 for the minimum acceptable evidence required to document each category of the homeless definition. The most relevant sections are § 576.500(b) through (f), which provide a detailed checklist. For purposes of determining and documenting homelessness, HUD allows various types of documentation in the following order of priority: third-party documentation first, intake worker...
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Funding Allocation

May a state allocate ESG funds to metropolitan cities and urban counties that already receive a direct allocation of ESG funds from HUD?

Yes.

Funding Allocation
Funding Allocation

Can we just combine the second allocation of FY2011 funds with the FY2012 funds?

No. The FY2011 funds must be accounted for separately from the FY2012 funds. Also, HUD must sign the FY11 grant agreement amendment for the second allocation. However, recipients may combine the second allocation of FY2011 funds with FY2012 funds for the purposes of a subrecipient competition, as long as the funds are accounted for separately AND recipients track and meet all of the obligation deadlines separately (60 days for States and 180 days...
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Funding Allocation

What are the expenditure deadlines for using the first and second allocation of FY 2011 ESG funds?

Expenditure date for FY 2011 first allocation ESG funds:  Funds provided under the first allocation must be expended within 24 months after the date HUD signed the original FY 2011 grant agreement. Recipients have the option of reprogramming funds from the first allocation of FY 2011 grant funds for eligible activities under the Emergency Solutions Grants Program. These funds also must be expended within 24 months after the date HUD signed t...
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Funding Allocation

Are funds from the FY 2011 first allocation subject to the Emergency Shelter Grants program requirements or the Emergency Solutions Grants program requirements?

Funds from the FY 2011 first allocation are subject to the Emergency Shelter Grants program requirements, which were in effect at the time the awards were made. Any funds from this allocation that recipients or subrecipients continue to expend as originally planned must follow the Emergency Shelter Grants program rule. Any funds reprogrammed from the first allocation after January 4, 2012 must follow the Emergency Solutions Grants program rule. T...
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Funding Allocation

How does HUD allocate ESG funds? Will the allocation process differ from the Emergency Shelter Grants program?

Congress allocates funding to ESG on an annual basis. HUD will set aside for allocation to the territories up to 0.2 percent, but not less than 0.1 percent, of the total amount of each appropriation in any fiscal year. The remainder will be allocated to States, metropolitan cities, and urban counties. The percentage allocated to States, metropolitan cities, and urban counties will be equal to the percentage of the total amount available under the...
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Habitability Standards

Does the program participant’s home have to meet the minimum habitability standards if they remain in the same housing unit, rather than relocating to a new unit?

Yes, such a unit would have to meet the minimum habitability requirements. ESG funds cannot be used to help a program participant remain in or move into housing that does not meet the minimum habitability standards provided in 24 CFR § 576.403(c).

Habitability Standards
Habitability Standards

If I am providing only housing relocation and stabilization services under the Rapid Re-housing or Homelessness Prevention components, do the habitability requirements apply?

Yes, habitability standards (24 CFR § 576.403(c)) apply any time ESG funds are used to help a program participant remain in or move into housing under the Rapid Re-housing or Homelessness Prevention components. This would include providing only rental arrears assistance, only security deposit, only legal assistance, only credit repair, etc.  In cases where the program participant will be moving to a new unit, the habitability requirement ap...
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HMIS Participation for ESG grantees

Whose responsibility is it to designate the HMIS and HMIS Lead Agency?

The CoC is responsible for designating the HMIS and the HMIS Lead Agency for the geographic area that the CoC covers. HUD encourages CoCs and ESG recipients to work together with the HMIS Lead to coordinate HMIS policies and procedures and ensure the HMIS meets the needs of their respective programs; however, only CoCs have the authority to designate the HMIS and the HMIS Lead Agency.  ESG recipients and subrecipients must use the HMIS in th...
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Match

The interim rule states that match funds must be “provided” after the date HUD signs the grant agreement. What does this mean?

For cash match, “provided” means when the funds are expended (or when the allowable cost is incurred). For in-kind match, it is the date the service (or other in-kind match source) is actually provided to the program or project. Remember that ESG matching funds must be expended within the same expenditure deadline that applies to the ESG funds being matched (i.e. the 24-month deadline). Non-cash contributions must be made within the...
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Match

Can Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funds be used as match for ESG?

Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funds may be used to meet the match requirements for HUD's McKinney-Vento programs, including the Emergency Solutions Grants Program, as long as HUD's Appropriations Act language includes a provision authorizing recipients under HUD's McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act programs to use other federal funds as match, and as long as the CSBG Act does not explicitly prohibit it. This provision was included for...
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Program Requirements - General

What are the requirements for sharing administrative funds?

If the recipient is a State:  The recipient must share its funds for administrative costs with subrecipients that are units of general purpose local government.  The recipient may share its funds for administrative costs with subrecipients that are private nonprofit organizations.  If the recipient is a territory, metropolitan city, or urban county, the recipient may share its funds for administrative costs with its subrecipient...
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Program Requirements - General

To whom does the homeless participation requirement at 24 CFR § 576.405 apply?

It applies to metropolitan cities, urban counties, and territories - the Interim Rule states that each recipient that is not a State must provide for the participation of at least one homeless or formerly homeless person on the board of directors or other equivalent policy making entity of the recipient. (See 24 CFR § 576.405(a)). If a metropolitan city, urban county, or territory is unable to provide for the participation of at least one homele...
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Program Requirements - General

Can ESG be used in combination with HUD-VASH?

ESG funds may be used to provide security deposits to help veterans move into units receiving HUD-VASH rental assistance, as long as the security deposit is not being paid for with another source of funds. ESG may not be used to provide rental assistance during the same period of time that HUD-VASH is providing rental assistance for the same participant. (See 24 CFR § 576.106).

Program Requirements - General
Program Requirements - General

Can ESG funds be used in areas outside the recipient’s boundaries?

Yes, as long as the recipient’s residents benefit from that use, as described below. Because ESG allocations are based on recipients’ relative needs, each recipient must use its funds to benefit its own residents. Accordingly, any use of funds outside the jurisdiction must benefit the recipient’s residents. Here are some examples:  The recipient is an urban county and determines that it can serve its residents by funding a shelter or ...
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Program Requirements - General

To what ESG program components does the 30% area median income (AMI) limit apply?

For Rapid Re-Housing, an income assessment is not required at initial evaluation. However, at annual re-evaluation, income must be LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO 30% AMI. For Homelessness Prevention assistance, households must have an income BELOW 30% AMI at initial evaluation, and have no other housing options, financial resources, or support networks. At re-evaluation - not less than once every three months - the participant must have an annual income L...
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Program Requirements - General

What portion of a recipient’s fiscal year ESG award can be used for street outreach and emergency shelter activities?

According to the ESG regulation 24 CFR § 576.100, the total amount of a recipient’s fiscal year grant that may be used for street outreach and emergency shelter activities combined cannot exceed the greater of: 60 percent of the recipient’s fiscal year grant; or The amount of the Fiscal Year 2010 grant funds committed for homeless assistance activities. This amount includes all homeless assistance activities from FY 2010. Homeless assistanc...
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Program Requirements - General

What sources of funds can be used as cash match for ESG?

The requirements for matching ESG funds are described in section 576.201 of the ESG Interim Rule, and the requirements for documenting matching contributions are described in section 576.500(o). In general, federal (other than ESG), state, local, or private funds may be used to satisfy the requirement that the recipient provide matching contributions to ESG, so long as the following conditions are met: The matching funds are contributed to the E...
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Program Requirements - General

How can I learn about the various services HUD offers to veterans?

It may help to call HUDVET, a toll free hotline that provides information to veterans seeking answers to housing questions. The HUDVET National Hotline is 1-800-998-9999. Additionally, the HUDVET website offers general veteran updates, as well as contact information for veteran service providers and federal, state, and city governments.  For additional resources, visit the Resources for Homeless Veterans page on the OneCPD Resource Exchange....
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Program Requirements - General

Are there minimum requirements for consultation with the Continuum of Care?

HUD recognizes that planning processes vary from community to community. The consultation requirements were developed broadly, in order to accommodate this variety. HUD expects that ESG recipients and CoC leadership will work together to determine the most effective process for their community.

Program Requirements - General
Program Requirements - General

When are ESG subrecipients required to start entering data into an HMIS?

HUD requires that providers start entering data into an HMIS as soon as they begin serving people using funds from the second allocation. If a provider does not receive any funding from the second allocation, they are required to start entering data on people served using FY2012 funds. However, recipients can require providers to enter sooner if they choose.

Program Requirements - General
Program Requirements - General

Does my community’s FY 2012 Annual Action Plan need to include the requirements added by the Interim Rule?

Use of FY 2012 ESG grant funds is subject to the Interim Rule.   For ESG recipients whose plans have been submitted and already approved. The recipient will need to submit a substantial amendment to the FY 2012 Action Plan that meets all of the new Con Plan requirements highlighted and explained in the Substantial Amendment Notice, including all requirements that apply to emergency shelter and street outreach activities. The recipient must s...
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Program Requirements - General

When does the Emergency Solutions Grants program go into effect?

The Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program is in effect as of January 4, 2012, for the second allocation of FY 2011 funds and beyond. ESG requirements also apply to any FY 2011 first allocation funds that are reprogrammed to new ESG activities through the Substantial Amendment to the FY 2011 grant. The Emergency Shelter Grants program will be phased out as recipients expend all funds from the first allocation of FY 2011 and earlier.

Program Requirements - General
Program Requirements - General

What are the limits on rental assistance provided through ESG? For how many months of rental arrears can the ESG funds be used?

The maximum length of time a program participant may receive rental assistance through ESG is 24 months during any 3-year period. Short-term rental assistance is for up to 3 months of rent. Medium-term rental assistance is for more than 3 months, but not exceeding 24 months. Payment of rental arrears consists of a one-time payment for up to 6 months of rent in arrears, including any late fees on those arrears. The limit of up to 24 months of paym...
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Program Requirements - General

Where can I find Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on HUD's System Performance Measures?

View System Performance Measure FAQs on the HUD Exchange. The FAQs include answers to general questions as well as questions about specific measures and Homelessness Data Exchange (HDX) submission.

Program Requirements - General
Program Requirements - General

How can my organization apply to receive ESG funding to help the homeless?

ESG is a formula grant program, which means HUD allocates money to States, urban counties, metropolitan cities, and territories (the recipients), who then usually further provide that funding to non-profit organizations in their areas (subrecipients) to run shelters and provide assistance to persons who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.  The best place to start is locally, with your city, county, or state, since they are the reci...
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CAPER

For reporting on numbers of clients served and kinds of services provided with ESG in the CAPER, should we include clients that are served through the match dollars?

Yes. In order to use funds as match for ESG, the matching contributions must meet all requirements that apply to the ESG funds provided by HUD (see 24 CFR 576.201(c)). Therefore, the program participants served with matching funds must be entered into an HMIS, and must be reported on the CAPER.

CAPER
eCart

May victim service providers enter data into a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)?

No. If a provider meets the definition of “victim service provider” as defined at 24 CFR 576.3, then that provider is prohibited from entering any data into the Continuum of Care’s (CoC) local HMIS. However, victim service providers must collect and enter program participant-level data into a comparable database for all of the data elements required for the ESG program. Per the 2014 HMIS Data Standards, this includes all Universal Data Elem...
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eCart

Do Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) providers report project entry dates for program participants when they are deemed eligible to receive services or assistance from the RRH project?

Yes. Providers must report the “project entry date” for program participants for the RRH project as soon as providers determine that they are eligible to receive services or assistance. It is important to distinguish between the “project entry date” and the “residential move-in date” data elements in their Homeless Management Information System (HMIS): “Project entry date” must occur on or before the “residential move-in date.�...
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eCart

Must Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) projects that receive both HUD-ESG and non-ESG fundingcount all program participants served or distinguish between program participants based on the funding source?

It depends. If a recipient’s ESG RRH project has other funding in the project that is contributed to the same overall program that meets ESG requirements (i.e., those non-ESG funds would be eligible as match), then it is appropriate to set up the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) RRH project to include persons served by that non-ESG funding source and report those persons served on the CAPER. For example, if the provider has an RRH ...
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eCart

May a single Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) project in a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) that is funded by ESG also be funded by programs other than ESG like Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program (SSVF) or CoC Program funds?

No, in general. Each RRH project should have its own project set-up in the HMIS to be able to generate required Federal reports. The only exception to this would be if the HMIS has been customized with the functionality to combine funding from multiple Federal programs into one project to generate the required reports. In such cases, the HMIS System Administrator should verify this with the HMIS Vendor/Provider prior to setting up the project in ...
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eCart

Are separate projects required in a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) for single Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) projects funded by two different ESG grants, for example one from the city and one from the State?

Yes. Projects that receive ESG funding from multiple ESG recipients must create separate projects in their HMIS for each funding source (e.g., ESG City-funded RRH and ESG State- funded RRH) to distinguish program participants for reporting purposes. HUD recommends that recipients and subrecipients: Work together to design projects that use funds from one ESG recipient to support 100 percent of the ESG costs for each household; and   Not pro...
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IDIS

How do you report the “total number of shelter bed-nights available” and “total number of shelter bed-nights provided” on screen CR-70 of the ESG CAPER template in the eCon Planning Suite?

The “total number of shelter bed-nights available” is the total number of beds in all shelters the recipient funded with ESG that were available to program participants during the reporting period (the recipient’s program year). HUD does not require or expect that individual beds within an emergency shelter will be attributed to a funder; that is, HUD does not expect that an HMIS can distinguish an “ESG bed” from any other bed. The...
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IDIS

Can I approve a voucher I just generated in IDIS?

The IDIS user who generates the voucher and the IDIS user who approves the voucher cannot be the same person.

IDIS
IDIS

Can I set up an activity for each subrecipient I have funded in IDIS?

No. ESG recipients can only set up one activity per activity category per grant year in IDIS beginning with the FY2011 allocation. The activity categories are: Street Outreach, Shelter, Homelessness Prevention, Rapid Re-Housing, HMIS, and Administration. For each activity, (under “Activity Funding”), a recipient must identify the funding amount allocated to each sub-recipient organization. Itemizing funding by subrecipient allows IDIS (and th...
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IDIS

Do the Street Outreach, Administration and HMIS activity categories have a secondary activity category in IDIS?

These three activity categories do not have a secondary activity category.

IDIS
IDIS

Can I change the pre-selected Performance Objective and Performance Outcome for an ESG Activity in IDIS?

No, performance objectives and performance outcomes are predetermined (and cannot be edited) for ESG activities based on activity category.

IDIS
IDIS

Can I allow another organization to access my ESG project or activity in IDIS?

No, ESG recipients should not allow another organization to access this activity since other organizations should not be drawing ESG funds or entering information in IDIS. Only ESG recipients are allowed to enter information in IDIS and draw funds in the “HESG” program path.

IDIS
IDIS

Can I set up more than one ESG project each year in IDIS?

No, a single IDIS project represents the entire ESG grant that is received by the recipient. IDIS will not allow a recipient to setup more than one ESG project per Grant Year.

IDIS
IDIS

What is "H-ESG"?

In IDIS, ESG has its own program and activity setup path titled “H-ESG” (for “HEARTH-ESG”) that requires fewer entries than for the Emergency Shelter Grants Program. The Emergency Solutions Grants Program is not called “H-ESG”; this acronym only refers to the IDIS path for the Emergency Solutions Grants Program.

IDIS
IDIS

Why can’t I see any ESG activities and vouchers in IDIS?

The issue most likely is due to your IDIS ID not being granted privileges to access the Emergency Solutions Grants Program path, which began in 2011 and is called “HESG” in IDIS (in IDIS the “ESG” path and grants refer to the legacy program, Emergency Shelter Grants Program). You can verify your specific user privileges in IDIS by accessing the PR30 - Security Administrator User Profile List report. Work with your local grantee administra...
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IDIS

Why can’t I select any subrecipients on the CR-60 screen for my CAPER?

The CR-60 Subrecipient Information screen is programmed to generate a list of ESG subrecipients based on those set up on the IDIS funding screens for the specific program year. ESG recipients are no longer able to create or add a new subrecipient directly onto the CR-60 screen. To add a subrecipient to the selection list for the CR-60 screen, the user would need to edit the specific program year activity’s funding to include the subrecipient. D...
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IDIS

How do I set up and draw funding for an agency in IDIS?

For each ESG activity recipients must identify each subrecipient that is being funded on the IDIS Activity Funding screens. For ESG, recipients should select Subordinate when identifying the subrecipient organization. However, there are existing organizations that have been set-up in IDIS that are categorized as CarryOut Org. This categorization cannot be changed, and ESG recipients should use the CarryOut Org designation if the subrecipient is a...
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IDIS

What is the proper naming convention for ESG Activities in IDIS?

The required naming convention for ESG Activities is: ESG, the 2-digit Federal Allocation Year followed by a space, followed by the Activity Category as listed in IDIS. For example: “ESG19 Shelter” Only one activity may be set up per component per grant. For example, if a recipient funds all ESG components and admin with their FY 2019 grant, then the only activities that may be set up in IDIS are the following, using this naming convention: ...
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IDIS

What is the proper naming convention for the ESG Project in IDIS?

The required naming convention for the ESG Project (only one project is created for each grant) is: ESG, the 2-digit Federal Allocation Year followed by a space, followed by the Recipient Name. For example: “ESG19 Columbus” Detailed instructions can be found in Using IDIS Online for the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program....
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IDIS

Where would I find information regarding my organization’s expenditure cap on Emergency Shelter and Street Outreach activities?

Recipients can find specific information regarding their organization’s expenditure cap on Emergency Shelter and Street Outreach on the PR91 ESG Financial Summary Report. There is a section of the PR91 that identifies the following by grant year: Amount Committed to Shelter Amount Committed to Street Outreach Total Amount Committed to Shelter and Street Outreach Percent Committed to Shelter and Street Outreach 2010 Funds Committed to Homeless ...
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Content current as of June 17, 2024.