The emergency solutions grant (ESG) authorizes the department of housing and urban development (HUD) to make grants to states, units of general-purpose local government, and territories for the…

The Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the Illinois Department of Human Services $5.190 million on January 28, 2026 under the Emergency Solutions Grant Program (CFDA 14.231), a formula grant supporting rapid rehousing, homelessness prevention, street outreach, emergency shelter operations, and essential services for homeless individuals and families.

ESG funds support five program components: street outreach for homeless individuals and families living on the street; emergency shelter rehabilitation, conversion, and operation; essential services provided to shelter residents; homelessness prevention and rental assistance to help people avoid becoming homeless; and Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) administration. Recipients may also use funds for eligible administrative activities under 24 CFR 576.101–576.107. The program aims to help communities engage unsheltered populations, improve emergency shelter capacity and quality, support ongoing shelter operations, and rapidly transition homeless individuals and families into permanent housing stability.

Performance is located in Springfield, Illinois, with a period of performance from January 28, 2026 through January 27, 2028. The Illinois Department of Human Services, a child division of the State of Illinois, administers the award as the ultimate recipient, distributing ESG funds to sub-recipients including local nonprofits, community organizations, and specialized service providers throughout Illinois that operate emergency shelters and homelessness prevention programs.

Recipients expending $750,000 or more in federal awards annually must undergo a single or program-specific audit. ESG records must be retained for the greater of five years or the period specified under 24 CFR 576.500(y).

Activities

ESG funds may be used for five program components: street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid RE-housing assistance, and homeless management information system (hmis). Funds can also be used for administrative activities. The five program components and the eligible activities that may be funded under each are set forth in 24 code of federal regulations (CFR) 576.101 through 576.107.

Expected outcomes

With ESG program funding, communities can engage homeless individuals and families living on the street, improve the number and quality of emergency shelters for homeless individuals/families, support the operation of emergency shelters, provide essential services to shelter residents, rapidly work to rehouse homeless individuals and families and prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless.

Intended beneficiaries

Eligible recipients of the ESG funds generally consist of metropolitan cities, urban counties, territories, and states, as defined in 24 CFR 576.2. The minimum eligibility criteria for ESG beneficiaries are as follows: for essential services related to street outreach, beneficiaries must meet the criteria under paragraph (1) (i) of the "homeless" definition under 576.2. For emergency shelter, beneficiaries must meet the "homeless" definition in 24 CFR 576.2. For essential services related to emergency shelter, beneficiaries must be "homeless" and staying in an emergency shelter (which could include a day shelter). For homelessness prevention assistance, beneficiaries must meet the requirements described in 24 CFR 576.103PAR. For rapid RE-housing assistance, beneficiaries must meet requirements described in 24 CFR 576.104. Further eligibility criteria may be established at the local level in accordance with 24 CFR 576.400(e).

Subrecipient activities

The subrecipient activities are unknown at the time of award.