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 Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development awarded the County of Orange $302,608 on September 25, 2025, under the Emergency Solutions Grant Program (CFDA 14.231), a formula grant providing funding through September 24, 2027.

The ESG program authorizes recipients to use funds for five components: street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing assistance, and Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Funds may also support administrative activities. Eligible activities include rehabilitation or conversion of buildings for emergency shelter use, payment of expenses related to operating emergency shelters, essential services for individuals and families in emergency shelters or unsheltered settings, homelessness prevention assistance, and rapid re-housing services to help individuals and families move quickly into permanent housing and achieve stability.

The County of Orange, operating through its OC Housing & Community Development Division, serves as the recipient and administers the award from Santa Ana, California. The county functions as a participating jurisdiction within HUD's framework and has demonstrated capacity managing concurrent federal grant programs including HOME Investment Partnerships and Community Development Block Grant Program. The county provides a range of services including emergency shelter operations, street outreach, homelessness prevention, and rapid re-housing support for individuals experiencing housing instability.

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.