Governor Tom Wolf announced that $3 million in grant funding has been awarded to 15 municipalities and organizations spanning 20 counties to assist Pennsylvanians currently experiencing homelessness.

“All Pennsylvanians are entitled to safe shelter, and that is never more important than in the cold winter months,” said Gov. Wolf. “This funding will help ensure that our communities can safeguard the health of all residents and protect them from the elements while working to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the commonwealth.”

The commonwealth recently received its second allocation of Emergency Solutions Grant funding from the CARES Act (ESG-CV) funds, and the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) set aside a portion of those funds to create the ESG-CV Code Blue program, which helps provide emergency shelter in preparation for the winter months.

Under the program, funding will be provided for emergency shelter and temporary emergency shelter to expand shelter for those experiencing homelessness in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The funds will be used to assist homeless providers and communities prepare for, prevent the spread of and respond to the coronavirus by providing emergency shelter, targeted street outreach, and temporary emergency shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness this winter.

A full list of awardees can be found here.

Nearly $102,000 has been awarded for street outreach, more than $2 million for emergency shelter, more than $775,000 for temporary emergency shelter, and the remainder of the funds will be used for administration and the Homeless Information Management System.

Another request for proposals to award the remaining $16.9 million of ESG-CV funds available, which will include all eligible ESG-CV activities, will be released in the beginning of 2021.

Assistance is also available for individuals until April 9, 2021 through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). LIHEAP provides assistance for home heating bills so low-income Pennsylvanians can stay warm and safe during the winter months. Assistance is available for renters and homeowners. Pennsylvanians can apply for LIHEAP and other public assistance programs online at www.compass.state.pa.us.

For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, Pennsylvanians should follow https://www.pa.gov/guides/responding-to-covid-19/.