The purpose of the Emergency Shelter Grants services is to help improve the quality of emergency shelters and transitional housing for the homeless; to make available additional shelters; to provide essential social services to homeless individuals, and to provide homelessness prevention activities.
Local community homeless shelters apply for the federal assistance to support costs such as rents and utilities.
The shelters receiving grants must make monthly, midyear and annual reports on their services.
The services benefit homeless individuals and families.