ESG-CV Resources
Emergency Solutions Grant - CARES Act
The CARES Act appropriated $4 billion through the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program “to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, among individuals and families who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance and to support additional homeless assistance and homelessness prevention activities to mitigate the impacts created by coronavirus under the Emergency Solutions Grants program (42 U.S.C. 11371).”
The following entities in our Homeless Response System have been allocated ESG-CV funding:
- Best Single Source Plus Collaborative
- Communicable Diseases Unit – Austin Public Health
- Downtown Austin Community Court
- Family Eldercare
- Foundation for the Homeless
- LifeWorks
- SAFE Alliance
ECHO and Austin Public Health host a monthly ESG-CV capacity building meeting at 10am on the second Monday of the month to support program staff who are overseeing program operations, grant management, budget/financial management, and staff with other administrative/compliance oversight of the ESG-CV programs. These meetings are intended to allow our community’s ESG-CV providers to problem-solve and innovate.
The SNAPS Office at HUD also hosts weekly virtual office hours at 1:30pm (CST) on Fridays.
Households or individuals in need of ESG-CV or other services may sign up to complete a Coordinated Entry assessment. More information about the Coordinated Entry System, including services and resources for those experiencing homelessness may be found here.
ESG-CV Capacity Building Resources
This section will be updated with resources geared towards providing information on common organizational concerns (caseload sizes, service package, subpopulations, eligible activities, and landlord outreach) and technical assistance, especially in regards to mitigating various barriers for agencies running programs with ESG-CV funding to prepare, prevent, and respond to the ongoing pandemic. (Please feel free to submit requests for information to be included here to the appropriate ECHO and APH personnel.)
Forms & Resources from TDHCA
TDHCA ESG-CV Forms
Forms & Resources from HUD
ESG Programs HMIS Manual
ESG Requirements
ESG Fact Sheet
ESG-CV Reporting Guidance and Timelines
Guide for Adjusting Written Standards for COVID-19
Rapid Re-Housing & Landlord Engagement Resources
ESG-CV Housing Search and Placement Guidance
ECHO Housing Barrier Screening Guide
NAEH Rapid Re-Housing Toolkit
Landlord Engagement Toolkit for Housing First
Housing Search Assistance Toolkit (HUD Exchange)
Summary of the COVID-19 High Risk Subpopulation Definition
The COVID-19 High Risk Subpopulation has been created at the local level to identify and target specialized services to persons experiencing homelessness and most at risk of severe illness from COVID-19 in the Austin / Travis County CoC. Following HUD guidance (see FAQ ID 3735) and using the CDC High Risk Criteria, the local homeless response system will utilize the Coordinated Entry System to refer persons who are identified within the COVID-19 High Risk Subpopulation to Permanent Housing programs.