FY2025: Emergency Homeless Support for Extraordinary Needs (Targeted)

Fund Code: 0355

Purpose:

This state funded targeted Homeless Emergency Support grant aims to provide funding for the schools and districts in responding to the significant influx in enrollment due to State's Emergence Order. The targeted grant fund provides resources to schools and districts to meet the educational needs of significant numbers of school-aged children experiencing homelessness due to the multifaceted nature of the Emergency Assistance (EA) Programs, include the shelter expansion hotel sites (current and close), the new Temporary Respite Centers (TRC), and districts that experiencing an increase in enrollment due to doubling up based on new 5 business day stay policy at TRC sites in the new school year. Targeted funding will accommodate the educational requirements of the students enrolled and served in the district experiencing the surge.

Priorities:

The Homeless Emergency Assistance for Extraordinary Needs targeted grant provides funds to schools and districts facing challenges of meeting the need for additional classroom space to accommodate the significant increase in student enrollment due to the placement in those communities, and the educational requirements of the students they will enroll and serve.

This grant program supports the education of students who are homeless through culturally responsive, high-quality programming that advances equity, including racially equitable and culturally responsive high-quality programming in any or all the following:

1. Purchase office trailers,
2. Classroom rental space;
3. Retrofit of classrooms to create additional student learning spaces within a school facility;
4. Purchase classroom furniture;
5. Hiring new staff to meet the needs of students experiencing homelessness;
6. Purchase translation devices or procure translation services for newcomer students;
7. and other one-time creative solutions as the district prescribes will best address their unique constraints.

Eligibility:

Any local educational agency in shelter expansion hotel sites (current and closed), and the Temporary Respite Centers* is/was opened by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC), formerly DHCD; or can demonstrate an increase in homeless enrollment due to doubling up based on new 5 business day stay policy at TRC sites in the new school year or during the 2023-2024 school year may apply.

* Others will be considered if/as the state adds more sites.

Funding Type:

State Line Item: 1599-0514

Funding:

Approximately $2,000,000 is available.

This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

Fund Use:

Projects can either expand or improve classroom spaces to serve students who are homeless and students who are housed inclusively.

Districts may provide classroom spaces on school grounds, at other facilities, or may use funds to enter contracts with other agencies that are committed to racial equity to provide education services for children and youth who are homeless. The Emergency Support funds may also be used to provide the same services to students who are housed to ensure that educational activities integrate students who are homeless.

Funds may be used to cover expenses incurred to support students placed in eligible shelter expansion sites prior to the grant submission date.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval* – 6/30/2025

*Grant start date cannot be prior to DESE receiving a substantially approvable Application Submission as directed in this RFP's Submission Instructions. Goods and services cannot be procured prior to Grants receiving and approving an application submission. Funds cannot exceed the project duration end date.

Program Unit:

Student and Family Support

Contact:

Shirley Fan-Chan

Date Due:

Rolling but no later than Friday, January 31, 2025

Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis and may be submitted prior to the due date.

Due to the purpose of this grant program, DESE may extend the due date if needed. This RFP Posting will be updated if there are any extensions to the due date.

Submission Instructions:

The FY25 0355 Emergency Homeless Support for Extraordinary Needs Grant will be submitted in our new GEM$ system. GEM$ is a cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system that will eventually phase out the use of EdGrants.

Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)

The following will be required to be submitted or uploaded directly into GEM$:

• Budget: Will be entered into the GEM$ Budget Form.
• All applicants must include the anticipated number of students served and a brief description of how the funds will be spent to meet extraordinary needs.

Grant applications are considered submitted when the LEA Fiscal Representative approves the grant application in GEM$.

The Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved Step allows for the organization lead to review and approve the grant application. Removing the requirement for the Part I Standard Contract Form, this step signifies Superintendent /Chief Executive sign off. Any grant budget changes requiring signature will re-execute this step when amended signifying the organization lead is approving these changes.

Please Note: Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off. All these roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. This form can be accessed without logging in to the system.

Last Updated: September 24, 2024