Amendment to Baltimore City Annual Action Plan for Local Fiscal Year 2020/Federal Fiscal Year 2019

Dear Community Partners,

Notice is hereby given that the City of Baltimore’s Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services is proposing, in accordance with regulations governing the consolidated planning process, to amend the Annual Action Plan for Local Fiscal Year 2020/Federal Fiscal Year 2019. 

The purpose of the amendment is to allow for the use of special Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program funds allocated to the City of Baltimore through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Public Law 116-136.  These special ESG-CV funds are to be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) among individuals and families who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance; and to support additional homeless assistance and homelessness prevention activities to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.

On April 2, 2020 the City of Baltimore was notified of the allocation of $6,571,738.00 in Emergency Solutions Grant COVID (ESG-CV).  These funds will be managed by the City of Baltimore’s Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services.  The ESG-CV funds will be allocated for the proposed project activities in response to COVID-19 that include, but are not limited to emergency shelter, homeless prevention, HMIS, rapid re-housing, and administrative activities. $657,173.80 will be directly allocated to administration activities, such as general management, oversight, coordination, and reporting. The City of Baltimore’s Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services is also coordinating with the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to support a city-wide eviction prevention strategy. In addition, funding will be allocated to the Continuum of Care providers that are directly supporting the above listed project types. Allocations will include, but are not limited to project responses due to COVID-19, such as expanding project capacity, reimbursing providers for emergency related supplies (i.e. personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies), medical related expenses, and increased food costs.

In addition, the following is an amendment to the annual Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) for local fiscal year 2020/Federal Fiscal Year 2019.

1. Re-allocate a total of $382,767.00 in Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program funds from the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services Prevention Project to the City of Baltimore’s Emergency Shelter Operations. Funds will assist direct operations and support to City Shelters per the ESG eligible activities. This amendment repurposes unspent prevention funds and reallocates funds to increase funding for existing activities for Emergency Shelter.

For further information regarding the ESG-CV and Annual ESG amendments, please contact Paroma Nandi at Paroma.nandi@baltimorecity.gov or 443-853-0079. Any comments regarding these changes may be submitted in writing to Paroma Nandi at the above email address. Summaries of comments received, and actions taken on comments, will be included in the final amendment submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The deadline for comment submittal is Thursday, July 2, 2020. 

To view the Amendment Action Plan Memo Click here.