State HFAs offer homeless assistance through a number of programs authorized by the McKinney-Vento Act, including the emergency shelter grants (ESG) program and the shelter plus care (S+C) program, and through a blend of other affordable and supportive housing funds and programs, including state housing trust funds.
The ESG program provides homeless persons with basic shelter and essential supportive services. States, large cities, urban counties, and U.S. territories, receive ESG grants and make these funds available to eligible recipients, which can be either local government agencies or private nonprofit organizations. ESG funds can assist with the operational costs of the shelter facility. Grantees, except for state governments, must match ESG grant funds dollar for dollar with their own locally generated funds.
The S+C program is designed to provide housing and supportive services on a long-term basis for homeless persons with disabilities, (primarily those with serious mental illness, chronic problems with alcohol and/or drugs, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or related diseases) and their families who are living in places not intended for human habitation (e.g., streets) or in emergency shelters. The program allows for a variety of housing choices, and a range of supportive services funded by other sources, in response to the needs of the hard-to-reach homeless population with disabilities.
Useful Link: HUD’s Homelessness Resource Exchange Website
Printer-friendly versionNCSHA Blog Posts
- December 16, 2011
HUD reported December 13 that its 2011 point-in-time count found that homelessness dropped 2.1 percent from 2010 to 2011. HUD found that, in addition to the reduction in overall homelessness, veteran homelessness decreased by almost 12 percent, individual homelessness decreased by 2 percent, family homelessness decreased by 2.8 percent, and chronic homelessness decreased by 2.4 percent, all compared to January 2010. - November 18, 2011
On November 18, President Obama signed into law the conference agreement on H.R. 2112, providing funding for HUD and USDA housing programs in FY 2012. The House had passed the bill by a vote of 298 to 121 and the Senate passed it by a vote of 70 to 30.
Housing Headlines
- U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness
News
- November 21, 2011
Governor Martin O’Malley today announced the award of more than $578,000 to 48 homelessness shelters across the state through the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Emergency Solutions Grant program. - November 16, 2011
Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds today proclaimed November 12-20, 2011 as Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in Iowa. Iowa joins with 500 other communities and organizations throughout the country in bringing awareness to the issues.
Homeless Assistance - Resources
- February 3, 2012
These are NCSHA's comments on the ESG Interim Rule. - December 13, 2011
NCSHA’s priorities, adopted annually by its Board of Directors after consultation with all state HFAs, set the agenda for NCSHA’s business development activities and advocacy before Congress, the Administration, and the federal agencies concerned with housing, including HUD, USDA, and the Treasury.
