Federal grant programs / Department of Housing and Urban Development

Emergency Solutions Grant Program (14.231)

Also known as Emergency Solutions Grants Program

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$3.7 billion
• Grant awards2,075
• Typical award$323,720
• Awarded in FY 2025$240 million
• Size rank111 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceFormula grants

Key findings

• Annual funding fell from $2.6 billion in fiscal 2021 to $240 million in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 111th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 50% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 56 states and territories.

What the program funds

The ESG program provides funding to: (1) engage homeless individuals and families living on the street; (2) improve the number and quality of emergency shelters for homeless individuals and families; (3) help operate these shelters; (4) provide essential services to shelter residents, (5) rapidly re-house homeless individuals and families, and (6) prevent families and individuals from becoming homeless.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Eligible recipients generally consist of metropolitan cities, urban counties, territories, and states, as defined in 24 CFR 576.2. Metropolitan cities, urban counties and territories may subgrant ESG funds to private nonprofit organizations. Local governments may also subgrant ESG funds to public housing agencies or local redevelopment authorities. States must subgrant all of their ESG funds (except for funds for administrative costs and, under certain conditions, HMIS costs) to units of general purpose local government and/or private nonprofit organizations. Each recipient must consult with the Continuum(s) of Care operating within the jurisdiction in determining how to allocate ESG funds.

What the money can and cannot pay for

ESG funds may be used for five program components: street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing assistance, and HMIS; as well as administrative activities (up to 7.5% of a recipient’s allocation can be used for administrative activities). For specific uses and use restrictions, see 24 CFR part 576, subpart B.;

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details. System does not allow to select N/A

Deadlines

The Annual Action Plans associated with the Consolidated Plan must be submitted based on the recipient’s program year, but no earlier than November 15 or no later than August 16 of the federal fiscal year for which the grant funds are appropriated.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

For FY 2023, the range of ESG grants is $81,210 to $14,612,469. The average grant amount is $794,520.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

By state

54 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.