The Employment Grants (EG) program was created by statute 16.313, which was passed as part of the 2017-2019 Wisconsin State Budget (2017 Wisconsin Act 19). The EG program uses General Purpose Funds (taxpayer revenue raised by the State) with the goal of connecting people experiencing homelessness with permanent employment and training opportunities.
Applicant Eligibility
Eligible applicants are limited to municipalities (defined as counties, cities, villages, or towns) and federally recognized tribal governing bodies that meet the following requirements:
- Applicant can provide the minimum cash match requirement of $10,000.
- Applicant has either an active Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) subscription or will partner with an organization with an active HMIS subscription, and that organization will fulfill the HMIS data entry requirements for the EG program.
- Applicant is registered with SAM.gov and can show proof of non-debarment/not having any active exclusions.
Awards & Funding
Awards are annual grants of up to $75,000. Applicants are encouraged to apply for the full award amount.
DEHCR will likely award one grant per year. The final grantee will be determined based on the applicant's merit (determined by their application score). Preference for funding will go towards grantees who will use the majority of the grant and cash match to pay for EG program participants' wages and who will partner with an agency to provide additional employment and supportive services to EG program participants.
Funds can be used to pay for program, operational, and administrative costs.
- Program Funds: Wages can be paid to clients for time spent participating in job/work experience, skills training, company tours, budgeting classes, time spent doing educational assessments, goal setting, job searches/applications, resume building, cover letter writing, mock interviews, going on college/technical school tours, and registering for classes.
- Operational Funds: Can cover the cost to provide the above programming, including but not limited to, skills training, educational assessments, and case management focused on connecting clients to permanent employment and training opportunities (examples may include liaising with employers and clients to help smooth clients' onboarding processes, working with clients on setting goals/ resume building etc.).
- Administrative Funds: Can pay for shared administrative costs such as, but not limited to, the cost of office space, computers, office supplies, and salaries for shared functions such as accounting.
There are no fund category maximums or minimiums.
Client Eligibility
Eligible clients are individuals who are 18 years of age and older, and who qualify for HUD Category 1, 2, 3, or 4 homelessness.
2024 Program Manual
Detailed information on the EG program including program and administrative requirements, reporting, invoicing and more can be found in the 2024 Employment Grants Program Manual.
2024 Application & Process
Applications for the 2024 EG program opened on 8/23/23 and were due on October 20, 2023, to the following email address DOASupportiveHousing@wisconsin.gov.
After the submission deadline, a review team at DEHCR scored each application. The applications were ranked, and the top scoring application based on the scoring criteria received an award. The performance period for the 2024 EG program starts on 1/1/24 and runs through 12/31/24.
2024 Employment Grants Program Application - CLOSED
2024 Employment Grants Recipient
Helpful Links & Resources
Information about the 2023 EG Program
The 2023 EG program will run from 1/1/23-12/31/23. The 2023 grantee's contact information can be found here 2023 Employment Grants Contact List. The 2023 Program Manual can be found here 2023 Employment Grants Program Manual.
Grant Specialist Contact Information
Questions about the Employment Grants program can be directed to Emily Bourne (Grant Specialist) at:
Emily.Bourne@wisconsin.gov
608-261-7068
Supportive Housing Resources
A list of supportive housing services by county, and program type can be found on this website at What Assistance Is Available to Me?
If you have questions about supportive housing services for yourself or someone else, please email DOASupportiveHousing@wisconsin.gov.
