Homeless System Response: Planning a Housing Surge to Accelerate Rehousing Efforts in Response to COVID-19

As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and in response to COVID-19, many communities will receive significant new allocations of Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds that can be used to quickly rehouse individuals and families experiencing homelessness and disproportionately at risk of COVID-19. Continuums of Care (CoCs) should leverage this moment to deploy surge strategies to swiftly rehouse households experiencing homelessness. This document describes how to use a housing surge to quickly move people into housing, details the key components of a housing surge, outlines the steps and best practices for operationalizing a housing surge in the context of COVID-19, and provides examples of housing surges implemented in communities in different situations. Equity tips are included in each section.

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US Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2020). Covid-19 Homeless System Response: Planning a Housing Surge to Accelerate Rehousing Efforts in Response to COVID-19. HUD Exchange. https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/COVID-19-Homeless-System-Response-Planning-a-Housing-Surge-to-Accelerate-Rehousing-Efforts-in-Response-to-COVID-19.pdf