ARP ESSER HCY Fund

The ARP Act required the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to reserve $800 million to support efforts to identify homeless children and youth, and to provide such youth with comprehensive, wrap-around services that address needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and allows them to attend school and participate fully in all school activities. California has been allocated $98,757,695 for ARP-HCY funds. These funds may be used in accordance with all allowable uses under the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth, including:

• Providing wraparound services (which could be provided in collaboration with and/or through contracts with community-based organizations, and could include academic supports, trauma informed care, social-emotional support, and mental health services);
• Purchasing needed supplies (e.g., personal protective equipment, eyeglasses, school supplies, personal care items);
• Providing transportation to enable children and youth to attend classes and participate fully in school activities;
• Purchasing cell phones or other technological devices for unaccompanied youth to enable the youth to attend and fully participate in school activities;
• Providing access to reliable, high-speed internet for students through the purchase of internet-connected devices/equipment, mobile hotspots, wireless service plans, or installation of Community Wi-Fi Hotspots (e.g., at homeless shelters), especially in underserved communities;
• Paying for short-term, temporary housing (e.g., a few days in a motel) when such emergency housing is the only reasonable option for COVID-safe temporary housing and when necessary to enable the homeless child or youth to attend school and participate fully in school activities (including summer school); and
• Providing store cards/prepaid debit cards to purchase materials necessary for students to participate in school activities.

To learn more ways to use ARP-HCY funds, access the ARP-HCY Resource Guide.

ARP-HCY funds will be dispersed into two separate funding sources, ARP-HCY I and ARP-HCY II. Eligibility and application procedures are listed below for each funding source. ARP-HCY funds must be spent by September 30, 2024.

ARP-HCY Liquidation Extension

The federal requirements found in the ARP-HCY funding require that funds be subject to Uniform Grants Guidance. A liquidation extension application allows local educational agencies (LEAs) to request an extension of the liquidation period for ARP-HCY I, ARP-HCY II, Homeless Education Technical Assistance Centers (HETAC), and Homeless Innovative Program (HIP) funds only, on a project-by-project basis. The ARP-HCY funding requires that funds be obligated by September 30, 2024, with the standard 120-day liquidation deadline being January 28, 2025. If approved, the LEA will have up to March 28, 2026, to liquidate these funds.

Each application must reflect one of the funding streams (ARP-HCY I and II, HETAC, or HIP). If a LEA needs to apply for a liquidation extension for more than one funding stream, then the LEA will need to submit a request for each funding stream. LEAs may be required to provide additional information as requested for review of this application and, if approved, for future monitoring throughout the liquidation period.

The August 15, 2024, webinar presentation (PPTX) provides an overview of the liquidation extension timelines, definitions, application requirements, and frequently asked questions.

The Liquidation Extension Application (PDF) will need to be completed and submitted to the HERFA@cde.ca.gov email by October 30, 2024, with the subject line: Liquidation Extension Application – (name of LEA) – funding stream. Remember the funding streams are ARP-HCY I, ARP-HCY II, HETAC, and/or HIP.

ARP-HCY I Funds

LEAs that currently receive an Education for Homeless Children and Youth grant are eligible to apply for ARP-HCY I funds. All eligible LEAs have been notified of this grant opportunity and are aware of the program and fiscal reporting requirements required of these funds, and allocation amounts for each LEA are available on the Funding Results for ARP-HCY I web page. For additional questions, please contact HomelessEd@cde.ca.gov.

ARP-HCY II Funds

LEAs are eligible to receive ARP-HCY II funds and allocations will be based on the following formula:

• Fifty percent in proportion to the amount that each LEA received under Title I, Part A for the most recent fiscal year (i.e., fiscal year 2020), and
• Fifty percent in proportion to the number of homeless children and youth identified by each LEA relative to all LEAs in the state, using the greater of the number of homeless children and youth in either the 2018‒19 or 2019‒20 school year in each LEA.

After the allocations are calculated, and it has been determined that an LEA will receive less than $5,000, that LEA will be required to join a consortium with their county office of education (COE). Each COE’s homeless liaison can be found in the 2021–22 County Contact list (XLSX).

For more information regarding funding, please refer to the Homeless Children and Youth II.

The September 7, 2022 webinar presentation (PPTX) provides a quick overview of ARP-HCY funds, but more importantly, three LEAs present on how they are expending ARP-HCY funds.

The March 23, 2022 webinar presentation (PDF) provides updated and detailed information regarding the uses of funds, allocations of funds, and reporting requirements.

The November 17, 2021 webinar presentation (PDF) provides an overview of ARP-HCY II funding – purpose, uses of funds, consortia, and reporting requirements.

ARP-HCY II Application for Funds – Closed

The ARP-HCY II Fund application closed on December 31, 2021. In order to have received an allocation, all LEAs must have submitted the ARP-HCY II Assurances.

LEAs can utilize the search option below which will display the application submission status of educational entities for the ARP-HCY II Funds.

ARP-HCY II Search Application

ARP-HCY II Quarterly Reports

All LEAs that receive ARP-HCY II funds must submit quarterly reports which include fiscal and programmatic information. Please note that the fiscal agent of the consortium is responsible for completing and submitting all quarterly reports on behalf of the consortium. LEAs can report on their ARP-HCY II funds at the Federal Stimulus Funding Reporting Application. For additional information and assistance with reporting, please access the Federal Stimulus Quarterly Reporting Help Page.

ARP-HCY II Annual Report

The ARP-HCY II Annual Report provides a compilation of data from the last four ARP-HCY II Quarterly Reports. The Report provides an overview of fiscal reporting and program reporting, including the number of homeless children and youth served. The use of these funds described in this data set can date back to March 13, 2020 through December 31, 2022.

To view the ARP-HCY II Annual Report, please access the ARP-HCY II Annual Report.

ARP-HCY II Quarterly Reports Timeline

*Dates subject to change