Georgia Department of Community Affairs

The Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program provides street outreach, emergency shelter, rapid re-housing, homelessness prevention, and related services to persons experiencing homelessness or in danger of becoming homeless throughout the state. 

Sub-awards are provided to local government entities and non-profit organizations utilizing State Housing Trust Fund for the Homeless Commission (HTF) and Federal HUD ESG funds.  These agencies then deliver program services at the local level.  This program is principally designed to operate within a continuum of assistance that enables individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to move toward housing sustainability.

ESG Rapid Re-Housing

Rapid re-housing assistance must be provided in accordance with the housing relocation and stabilization services requirements in § 576.105, the short- and medium-term rental assistance requirements in § 576.106, and the written standards and procedures established under § 576.400.

According to ESG regulation 24 CFR 576, ESG funds may be used to provide housing relocation and stabilization services and short- and/or medium-term rental assistance as necessary to help a homeless individual or family move as quickly as possible into permanent housing and achieve stability in that housing. This assistance, referred to as rapid re-housing assistance, may be provided to project participants (within 2 of the 4 HUD categories) who

(1) lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning:

1. An individual or family with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground;
2. An individual or family living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state, or local government projects for low-income individuals); or
3. An individual who is exiting an institution where he or she resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution;

(2) … (This “at risk” class is not eligible for rapid re-housing assistance but may be eligible for homelessness prevention assistance)

(3) … (This “homeless by other definitions” class is not eligible for rapid re-housing assistance but may be eligible for homelessness prevention assistance)

(4) Any individual or family who is living in an emergency shelter or other place described in paragraph one (1) AND:

1. Is fleeing, or is attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions that relate to violence against the individual or a family member, including a child, that has either taken place within the individual’s or family’s primary nighttime residence or has made the individual or family afraid to return to their primary nighttime residence;
2. Has no other residence; and
3. Lacks the resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith-based or other social networks, to obtain other permanent housing.