To: Board of Supervisors
From: John Kopchik, Director, Conservation and Development
Report Title: 2025/26 State of California Emergency Solutions Grant Program Funds
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE proposed 2025/26 State Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) spending plan for eligible activities to assist homeless individuals and families in Contra Costa County.
FISCAL IMPACT:
100% State funds. The State of California receives ESG funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HCD) and distributes funds to Administrative Entities such as Contra Costa County. Last year the Board of Supervisors approved a 3-year resolution, covering FY 2024, FY 2025 and FY 2026 with the staff report identifying the anticipated three-year allocation amounts: $304,250 for FY 2024/25, $232,628 for FY 2025/26 and $232,628 for FY 2026/27. On March 17, 2026, HCD announced the County’s estimated formula allocation for FY 2025/26 (Year 2), as $229,545. Attachment A includes what was recommended for year 1, year 2 and an estimate for year 3. A portion of the total allocation is reserved for program administration within the Department of Conservation and Development.
BACKGROUND:
HCD allocates State Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds to Continuum of Care (CoC) geographic areas. The CoC is a program through which the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development strives to end homelessness. The County’s Health, Housing and Homeless Services manages the CoC for Contra Costa. The County Department of Conservation and Development (DCD) is the Administrative Entity for the State ESG funds and is required to collaborate with the CoC. The ESG Program provides funds to activities that (1) engage homeless individuals and families who are living on the street, (2) improve the number and quality of emergency shelters for homeless individuals and families, (3) help operate shelters, (4) provide essential services to shelter residents, (5) rapidly re-house homeless individuals and families, and (6) prevent families/individuals from becoming homeless. The County has participated in the State ESG Program since 2016.
Starting with the FY 2024/25 State ESG funding cycle, the State Department of Housing and Community Development moved to a three-year funding cycle for State ESG funds and is allowing agencies to submit a three-year resolution, covering FY 2024, FY 2025, and FY 2026. On March 25, 2025, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 2025-91, authorizing the County to apply for and receive State ESG funds for three fiscal years (2024/25, 2025/26 and 2026/27) and granting the Director of Conservation and Development, or designee, authority to execute all necessary ESG program documents for the full three-year cycle.
Only they FY 2024/25 spending plan was approved last year and staff committed to returning annually for Years 2 and 3 spending plan approvals. Attachment A to this report is the Year 2 spending plan. No new resolution is required.
Continuum of Care (CoC) - Council on Homelessness Meeting
The Contra Costa Council on Homelessness (COH) is appointed by the Board of Supervisors and serves as the County’s CoC executive council. It provides advice and input on the operations of homeless services and program operations, establishes the local process for applying for various programs, including ESG. Given that this is the second year of the State’s three-year funding cycle, DCD staff consulted with the COH at its April 2, 2026 meeting to present the funding recommendations/spending plan for Year 2 (FY 2025/26) funds. The COH approved those recommendations for the Board’s consideration. Attachment A provides the recommended amounts of FY 2025/26 State ESG funds to each respective service provider. Staff is only requesting approval of FY 2025/26 funding recommendations for the respective agencies and programs reflected in Attachment A, and staff will come back to the Board next year for the approval of FY 2026/27, Year 3, recommendations.
The proposed FY 2025/26 spending plan recommends allocating the formula amount of $229,545 to eligible ESG activities aligned with CoC priorities and applicable program requirements. These funds will become available on July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. As in prior years, DCD staff consulted the Contra Costa Council on Homelessness (COH) to ensure alignment with regional homeless system needs.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
A negative action would result in the County not being able to receive State ESG funds to support homelessness services in the County’s CoC geographic areas.