Kansas communities will receive a funding boost to provide emergency housing services for citizens in need. The funds, made available through the federal Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program, will be awarded to local communities and nonprofit organizations to support Kansans experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
City of Lawrence officials used ESG funding to establish an emergency shelter campground and a temporary shelter at a local hotel. “This crucial funding has made our Woody Campground outreach program and our EconoLodge temporary shelter programs possible,” said City of Lawrence Assistant City Manager Brandon McGuire. “Without these supplemental ESG funds our community’s most vulnerable population would spend the winter unhoused and unconnected to the support they need. Because of this funding they are now sheltered and working with case managers to graduate them to the Rapid Re-Housing program, all while being safe in the pandemic atmosphere. We are very grateful to KHRC for the ability to utilize this funding for our community.”
Funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the ESG program supports local service partners that work to prevent homelessness and assist people experiencing homelessness. Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) serves as the state’s ESG program administrator. Grant awards help fund emergency shelters, rapid rehousing services, street outreach, homelessness prevention strategies, and more.
In addition to the 2020 ESG allocation of $1.5 million, the 2020 federal CARES Act provided $4.5 million in supplemental ESG funding to respond to housing needs created or exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. Supplemental funding supports local government entities, nonprofit organizations, and community mental health centers across the state, providing housing and community services including emergency shelter operations and administration, domestic violence shelters, behavioral health services, and rental and utility assistance for Kansans at risk of eviction.
Service partners applied for funding through a competitive application process. Complete award details for both the 2020 ESG allocation and 2020 ESG supplemental CARES Act funding are available online.
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Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) is a self-supporting, nonprofit, public corporation committed to helping Kansans access the safe, affordable housing they need and the dignity they deserve. KHRC serves as the primary administrator of federal housing programs for the state of Kansas.