The California Emergency Solutions and Housing (CESH) Program provides funds for a variety of activities to assist persons experiencing or at risk of homelessness as authorized by SB 850 (Chapter 48, Statues of 2018).
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) administers the CESH Program with funding received from the Building Homes and Jobs Act Trust Fund (SB 2, Chapter 364, Statutes of 2017).
Assistance Type and Terms
HCD grants CESH Program funds in the form of five-year grants to eligible applicants.
Eligible Activities
CESH funds may be used for five primary activities: housing relocation and stabilization services (including rental assistance), operating subsidies for permanent housing, flexible housing subsidy funds, operating support for emergency housing interventions, and systems support for homelessness services and housing delivery systems. In addition, some administrative entities may use CESH funds to develop or update a Coordinated Entry System (CES), Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), or Homelessness Plan. Refer to the current Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for any limitations on these activities.
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants are Administrative Entities (AEs) — local governments, non-profit organizations, or unified funding agencies — designated by the Continuum of Care (CoC) to administer CESH funds in their service area.