Emergency Solutions Grant – Rapid Unsheltered Survivor Housing
Public Notice
Proposed Use of ESG-RUSH
On January 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS) awarded Pinellas County $512,336 in a special allocation of Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding to address the needs of homeless individuals or families or individuals or families at risk of homelessness in areas affected by a major disaster declared pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.). The ESG funds shall benefit people whose needs are not otherwise served or fully met by existing Federal disaster relief programs, including the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program under such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b).
This allocation of “Rapid Unsheltered Survivor Housing” (RUSH) funding under the ESG Program is in response to the President’s major disaster declarations dated September 28, 2004, DR-4828-FL, for Hurricane Helene, October 11, 2024, DR-4834-FL, for Hurricane Milton, and Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) determination that these disasters were sever enough to activate its TSA program.
For Pinellas County to receive ESG RUSH funds, the County must submit for HUD’s approval, a substantial amendment to the County’s FY 2024/2025 Annual Action Plan. This substantial amendment proposes to amend the 2024/25 Action Plan to include the County’s ESG RUSH funding and activities to enable the County to receive and administer ESG RUSH funds.
In collaboration with the Pinellas Continuum of Care, Pinellas County has identified the following proposed ESG RUSH activities:
| Proposed Activity | Proposed Funding Amount |
| Emergency Shelter | $237,000.00 |
| Homelessness Prevention | $107,000.00 |
| Rapid Rehousing | $107,000.00 |
| HMIS | $22,910.80 |
| Administration (7.5% max) | $38,425.20 |
| Total ESG-RUSH | $512,336.00 |
To be eligible for assistance, an individual or family must:
- Be “homeless” or “at-risk of homelessness” as those terms are defined at 24 CFR 576.2 or meet the new criteria in section 103(b) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act;
- Have been residing in a declared disaster area; and
- Have needs that will not be served or fully met by the TSA Program (42 U.S.C. 5170b), NCS, or and other existing Federal disaster relief programs.
A household will not be required to requalify as homeless or at risk of homelessness for purposes of RUSH funds if the household was already determined to meet the definition of homeless or at risk of homelessness and was receiving ESG assistance when the disaster occurred.
Pinellas County will incorporate HUD’s prior approval of pre-award costs necessary for efficient and timely performance of eligible ESG RUSH activities. Covered pre-award costs are those incurred between and including the date of HUD’s ESG RUSH award notification letter (January 10, 2025) and the date immediately preceding the start date of the period of performance/budget for the grant that are in compliance with all conditions specified in Section V of the ESG RUSH Notice published July 18, 2024.
Other aspects of the 2024/25 Action Plan will remain unchanged.
This public notice satisfies the requirements described in the ESG RUSH Notice published July 18, 2024, and Pinellas County’s ESG RUSH funding allocation letter sent to Commissioner Kathleen Peters on January 10, 2025, by the Principal Deputy Assistance Secretary of HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development, which requires Pinellas County to publish how it will use its ESG RUSH allocation, at a minimum, on the Internet, at the appropriate government website or through other electronic media.
Pinellas County does not discriminate against any person because of their race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, consistent with applicable state and federal policies and regulations.