The City of St. Louis is stepping up its efforts to address homelessness, opening the floor for local service providers to tap into federal grants aimed at aiding the city's unhoused residents. Beginning July 1, the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) will funnel financial support for various programs, including emergency shelter, street outreach, and rapid rehousing efforts.
"The Emergency Solutions Grant allows the City to fund providers in the community who are doing innovative work to provide shelter, housing, and support to the unhoused,” said Adam Pearson, Director of the Department of Human Services, in a statement obtained by the official news release from the City of St. Louis. In, what could be described as an inter-agency collaboration, these funds are sourced from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development along with the City of St. Louis Community Development Administration.
Services that are set to benefit from these grants cover a range of necessary interventions for those facing homelessness. This includes not only immediate solutions like emergency shelter and rehousing but also preventive measures and data collection to better understand and tackle the issue at its core.
Mayor Tishaura O. Jones has praised the local Department of Human Services, "Our Department of Human Services does extremely important work to support those in our community who are without a home, and working with homeless services providers in our area is vital to helping as many people as possible,” Mayor Jones told the official news release on the City of St. Louis official website. She emphasized the city's dedication to a housing-first approach, while also recognizing the immediate needs of St. Louis's unhoused population.
Providers wishing to participate in the ESG program are encouraged to submit a proposal through the City’s website. Amy Bickford can be contacted with inquiries regarding the application process. Important to note is that the eligibility for these grants will hinge on the organizations' application strength, past performance, and compliance with federal guidelines. The deadline for submissions is April 2, at 4 p.m, as stated by the City's announcement.
