Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) 

The Housing and Community Vitality Department manages the City of Colorado Springs’ Entitlement funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Our mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for citizens in Colorado Springs.  

The Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) provides federal funds to organizations that assist individuals and families to quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis or homelessness. 

The ESG Program has five (5) program components:  

  • Street outreach 
  • Emergency shelter 
  • Homelessness prevention  
  • Rapid re-housing assistance  
  • Data collection via Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) 

Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds are provided by HUD in order to assist extremely low-income persons (30% AMI or below) individuals and families to quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis or homelessness.

Our Funding  

The City of Colorado Springs’ Housing and Community Vitality Department provides funding to local 501(c)(3)/ 509(a) non-profit organizations, and public agencies that serve low- to moderate-income community members. As the grantee of funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the City of Colorado Springs Housing and Community Vitality Department administers funding to successful local applicants (subgrantees) for one program year.

The beneficiaries of ESG programs must meet one of HUD’s categories of homelessness:

  1. Literally homeless: Individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (with stipulated provisions).
  2. Imminent Risk of Homelessness: An individual or family who will imminently lose their primary nighttime residence (with stipulated provisions).
  3. Homeless under other Federal Statutes: Unaccompanied youth under 25 years of age, or families with Category 3 children and youth, who do not otherwise qualify as homeless under this definition (with stipulated provisions).
  4. Fleeing or Attempting to Flee Domestic Violence (with stipulated provisions).

Organizations interested in applying

The City of Colorado Springs funding program year runs from April 1st to March 31st. As such the Housing and Community Vitality Department generally releases a Notice of Funding Availability for competitive grant funds (solicitation for applications) around mid-March to early April each year.

Notice of funding availability

The Housing and Community Vitality Department is soliciting applications for 2024 Emergency Solutions Grant funds (ESG). This year, the City has an estimated $400,000 in 2024 Emergency Grant funding (ESG) available for competitive award. Please note the following:  

  • The award minimum for applications is $25,000
  • Awards are subject to HUD program caps per component
  • For more information please review the current Notice of Funding Availability

Eligibility Basics

  • The award minimum for ESG is $25,000 and maximum is $100,000.
  • Applicants must be members of the Pikes Peak Continuum of Care.
  • Applicants must use HMIS and participate in Coordinated Entry, except for domestic violence (DV) service providers.
  • Projects must adhere to ESG rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention requirements as outlined in the City’s ESG Written Standards .HUD also provides helpful guidance here.
  • Applicants must be able to provide one-to-one (dollar for dollar) match on proposed projects. Budget items covered by matching funds must meet the same eligibility requirements as expenses paid by ESG funds. Guarantee of match must be provided at the time of application via letter of commitment from donor, organizational budget, or notice of award from another funding source. If awarded, proof of match expenditure must be documented within the 2023 program year before the final request for reimbursement is paid.

Written standards

The City of Colorado Springs has developed written standards for providing assistance with Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) funds. These standards were created in coordination with the Pikes Peak Continuum of Care (PPCoC) which includes nonprofit and for-profit homeless service providers inclusive of health, mental health, and substance abuse providers, local, state and federal government representatives, businesses and corporations, philanthropic organizations and individuals, and persons currently or having formerly experienced homelessness within the CoC geographic area. These written standards are subject to periodic updates.

REVIEW WRITTEN STANDARDS

Resources

Interested applicants should review the below resources prior to the submission of any application:

Technical Information

We recommend at least 1 representative (preferably the grant administrator) attend an online digital office hours session. CDD staff will host digital office hours to offer technical assistance and go over specific questions from applicants on the following dates.

Applicants are encouraged to attend one session of digital office hours for information and inquiries. No registration necessary. We advise that applicants review the 2023 CDBG and ESG Application Guide and take advantage of the digital office hours to assess one’s eligibility and fully understand the requirements before an agency invests the time and resources necessary to apply.

Digital Workshop Session #1: Monday April 22nd 2024 10am-11am MST

Digital Workshop Session #2: Wednesday April 24th 2024 11am-12pm MST

Digital Workshop Session #3: Thursday April 25th 2024 2:30pm- 3:30pm MST

Application Information

Competitive applications for the 2024 Emergency Solutions grant (ESG) funding will be available from April 15th 2024 12:00am MST to May 6th 2024 at 11:59pm MST ( no exceptions). Applicants must register online with Neighborly Software in order to prepare and submit an application. There is no limit to the number of applications that an organization may submit, but each project should be submitted as its own application. Applications selected for funding may receive less than their requested amount, depending on the number of applications received, available funding, and review of their budgetary request by City staff. Submission of an application is not a guarantee of funding for any organization or project request. 

Application deadline has been extended to Monday May 6th at 11:50pm

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Questions?  

For more information or inquiries about ESG programs please contact the Housing and Community Vitality Department at: CityHousingandCommunityVitality@coloradosprings.gov .