Emergency Solutions Grant

 What is the Emergency Solutions Grant?

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) annually awards Rockland County with an allocation of Emergency Solutions Grant funding. The purpose of this funding is to help families to quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis or homelessness. The Rockland County Office of Community Development awards this funding to non-profit organizations and municipalities across the county who work to fulfill this goal. 

ESG funds are available for five program components: street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing assistance, and data collection through the Homeless Management Information System or HMIS. 

Below is a summary of the components and related eligible costs:

• Street Outreach: funds may cover costs related to essential services for unsheltered persons, including emergency health or mental health care, engagement, case management, and services for special populations.
   
• Emergency Shelter: funds may be used for renovation of emergency shelter facilities and the operation of those facilities, as well as services for the residents, including case management, child care, education, employment assistance and job training, legal, mental health, substance abuse treatment, transportation, and services for special populations.
   
• Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing: both components fund housing relocation and stabilization services (including rental application fees, security deposits, utility deposits or payments, last month's rent and housing search and placement activities). Funds may also be used for short- or medium-term rental assistance for those who are at-risk of becoming homeless or transitioning to stable housing.
   
• HMIS: funds may be used to pay the costs for contributing data to the HMIS designated by the Continuum of Care for the area. Eligible activities include computer hardware, software, or equipment, technical support, office space, salaries of operators, staff training costs, and participation fees.

How Can My Organization Apply for Funding? 

The Office of Community Development is currently accepting applications for the Emergency Solutions Grant program. If your non-profit organization or municipality is in need of funding for a program involving one of the above categories, please fill out an application and submit it to RCOCD@co.rockland.ny.us. 

Questions?

For more information on this program please contact the Office of Community Development by phone; 845-364-3939, or by email; RCOCD@co.rockland.ny.us.