Salina Seeks $758,385 Grant Request for Homelessness Services

The Salina City Commission is scheduled to consider authorizing a 2026 Emergency Solutions Grant application that would request $758,385 for local agencies providing homelessness prevention, emergency shelter, rapid re-housing, street outreach and related services.

The request would authorize the City of Salina to prepare and submit an application to the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation on behalf of four local nonprofit agencies: Ashby House Ltd., Central Kansas Mental Health Center, Domestic Violence Association of Central Kansas and Salina Grace. The item is included on the May 11 City Commission agenda.

According to the city’s staff report, the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation is accepting applications for the 2026 federal fiscal year Emergency Solutions Grant program. The City of Salina has consistently applied for the grant since 1994. The grant is designed to prevent homelessness, with a primary focus on helping homeless individuals move toward sustained independent living.

Applications for the grant are accepted only from local units of government and must be administered by the local government. Nonprofit organizations may receive funding through the application if they meet eligibility requirements, including tax-exempt status, an acceptable accounting system, a voluntary board and nondiscrimination hiring practices.

The Emergency Solutions Grant is a federal block grant authorized through the McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act and administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Funding may be used for street outreach, emergency shelter, homeless prevention, rapid re-housing, Homeless Management Information System costs and administration.

Under the proposed application, the agencies would request the following amounts:

Ashby House Ltd. would request $450,635 for emergency shelter.

Central Kansas Mental Health Center would request $9,000 for street outreach and $1,000 for HMIS, for a total of $10,000.

Domestic Violence Association of Central Kansas would request $105,000 for emergency shelter, $90,000 for rapid re-housing and $52,000 for homeless prevention, for a total of $247,000.

Salina Grace would request $50,000 for emergency shelter and $750 for HMIS, for a total of $50,750.

Together, the requests total $758,385.

The city’s report describes Salina as the largest community in Saline County and a regional service area for surrounding counties. Staff wrote that the city has demonstrated a significant need for housing support services for homeless individuals and those at risk of homelessness. The report also states that the agencies included in the application are part of Salina’s local continuum of care and provide emergency shelter and supportive services intended to help individuals and families obtain or maintain housing.

The application process includes two separate decision points for the City Commission. Monday’s action would only authorize submission of the grant application. If the state awards funding, the city would later receive a conditional grant award notification, and the Commission would have to vote again to formally accept the award. In other words, approval Monday would not guarantee the full $758,385 would be awarded. The final allocation is decided by the state.

The proposed timeline shows the participating agencies submitted their applications to the city by April 27. The Commission is scheduled to consider the city’s application authorization on May 11. The master application is due to KHRC on May 18. KHRC is expected to review applications between May 18 and June 30, with conditional award notification expected around the end of July, though the report notes that timing can vary.

The grant requires a 100% match from the funded nonprofit agencies. The City of Salina is not required to provide matching funds. Each agency must identify and document matching contributions equal to the amount of grant funding it requests. The city may receive a small administrative reimbursement if grant funds are awarded.

The city has received Emergency Solutions Grant funding for more than 25 years. Over the past 10 years, Salina has been awarded more than $1.4 million in ESG funds. Recent awards include $216,348 in 2025, $216,348 in 2024, $113,376 in 2023, $140,072 in 2022 and $249,324 in 2021.

City staff recommends approval of Resolution No. 26-8347, which would authorize preparation and submission of the application. If commissioners postpone or deny the resolution, the staff report states the city would be unable to meet the application deadline and would not receive 2026 ESG funding through this application cycle.