The Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) recommends Council approval of an Ordinance authorizing a Subrecipient Agreement between the City of Houston (City) and SEARCH Homeless Services (SEARCH), providing up to $925,000.00 in Emergency Solutions Grants – Rapid Unsheltered Survivor Housing (ESG-RUSH) funds, for a program providing rapid re-housing case management services and rental assistance to 40 households.
ESG-RUSH funding is a special ESG grant administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for areas that are identified as eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance when a “major disaster” is declared under the Stafford Act to address the needs of individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or are at-risk of homelessness in a declared disaster area and have needs unmet by existing federal disaster relief programs. HUD awarded the City ESG-RUSH funding in response to FEMA DR-4781-TX Texas Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding and FEMA DR-4798-TX Texas Hurricane Beryl.
SEARCH will quickly move people impacted by the recent disasters who are experiencing homelessness in the Downtown Houston area into permanent housing by providing rental assistance and housing-stability case management services.
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CATEGORY
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AMOUNT
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PERCENT
|
|
Program
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$925,000.00
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100.00%
|
|
Administration
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$0.00
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0.00%
|
|
Total
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$925,000.00
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100.00%
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In March 2025, in partnership with Harris County and the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, the City invited organizations to submit proposals under a Request for Expression of Interest (REI). SEARCH Homeless Services was one of the agencies that responded and was subsequently selected to provide rapid re-housing activities.
This Agreement will provide funding for approximately 12 months, from the date of the City Controller's countersignature through April 30, 2026. SEARCH Homeless Services has received funding from the City of Houston since 1996.
This item was reviewed by the Quality of Life Committee on April 7, 2025.
Fiscal Note:
No fiscal note is required for grant items.
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Michael Nichols, Director