BOSTON – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson announced more than $73.7 million in Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) funding to Massachusetts communities to support homeless Americans and individuals at risk of becoming homeless because of hardships such as job loss, wage reduction, or illness due to COVID-19.
This funding is part of $2.96 billion being awarded nationally and is in addition to the $30.4 million in ESG grant funding announced for Massachusetts within a week of President Trump signing the CARES Act. View state and territory funding allocations here. See below for MA grants.
“Homelessness was a major issue in some cities across our Nation long before this pandemic occurred, and unfortunately the dire living conditions of our most vulnerable Americans left many without a home to isolate in or proper medical and healthcare resources to defend themselves against this invisible enemy,” said Secretary Carson. “As we continued to monitor the effects of COVID-19 in at risk communities, the Department and our partners worked quickly to respond to outbreaks and minimize the spread from hotspots to other locations. This increased funding to help provide for our homeless will make a difference now as we combat the coronavirus and inform long-term, innovative solutions for addressing homelessness in the future.”
Congress has provided $4 billion for HUD’s ESG program for local governments to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus among individuals and families who are homeless, receiving homeless assistance, or are at risk of becoming homeless. In total, HUD has allocated $3.96 billion in ESG funding to impacted communities in every U.S. State and territory, and the remainder $40 million is being utilized to provide technical assistance to build capacity of grantees in those communities receiving ESG funding.
“We are proud of the extraordinary efforts being made by our Massachusetts homeless partners to protect our most vulnerable from the impacts of COVID-19, this funding helps to further their efforts in this fight,” said David Tille, HUD New England Regional Administrator.
The more than $73.6 million in Massachusetts funding allocated today can be used to:
- Make more emergency shelters available for homeless individuals and families.
- Operate emergency shelters by providing food, rent, security, maintenance, repair, fuel, equipment, insurance, utilities, furnishings, and supplies necessary for their operation.
- Provide Hotel/Motel Vouchers for homeless families and individuals.
- Provide essential services to people experiencing homelessness including childcare, education services, employment assistance, outpatient health services, legal services, mental health services, substance abuse treatment services, and transportation.
- Prevent individuals from becoming homeless and rapidly rehouse homeless individuals.
Massachusetts ESG CARES Act Funding
MA Grants ESG Round 2 ESG Round 1 Total allocation
Boston $23,348,669 $5,195,210 $28,543,879
Cambridge $2,268,869 $787,948 $3,056,817
Fall River $1,275,287 $866,031 $2,141,318
Lawrence $1,138,406 $526,348 $1,664,754
Lowell $2,610,376 $632,876 $3,243,252
Lynn $4,004,861 $751,083 $4,755,944
New Bedford $1,576,274 $805,424 $2,381,698
Newton $905,007 $578,393 $1,483,400
Quincy $1,237,584 $550,900 $1,788,484
Somerville $632,359 $750,831 $1,383,190
Springfield $3,951,604 $1,160,338 $5,111,942
Worcester $2,715,383 $1,327,821 $4,043,204
MA State Balance $27,939,981 $16,474,052 $44,414,033
MA Totals: $73,604,660 $30,407,255 $104,011,915
