To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Administration
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT:
title
Professional Services Agreement in the Amount of $288,573 with Arcata House Partnership Regarding the Provision of Emergency Shelter, Case Management and Supportive Services to Individuals who are Experiencing Homelessness in Humboldt County
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve, and authorize the Chair of the Board to execute, the attached professional services agreement with Arcata House Partnership regarding the provision of emergency shelter, case management and supportive services to individuals who are experiencing homelessness in Humboldt County in an amount not to exceed $288,572.24 for the period of Oct. 1, 2024 through April 30, 2025; and
2. Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services Director, or a designee thereof, to execute any and all subsequent amendments to the attached professional services agreement with Arcata House Partnership, after review and approval by County Counsel, Risk Management, and the County Administrative Office; and
3. Direct the Clerk of the Board to return one fully executed original copy of the attached professional services agreement with Arcata House Partnership to the Department of Health and Human Services - Contract Unit for further processing.
Body
STRATEGIC PLAN:
The recommended actions support the following areas of the Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Plan:
Area of Focus: Housing for All
Strategic Plan Category: 4001 - Provide housing and sheltering solutions for people experiencing homelessness
DISCUSSION:
On Dec. 17, 2021, the California Interagency Council on Homelessness announced the availability of $1 billion in noncompetitive block grant funds for the third round of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Program. The HHAP Program is intended to allow cities, counties and local Continuums of Care to address and prevent immediate homelessness challenges throughout the state. As a result, HHAP Program funding may be used for a broad range of activities that are designed to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness with obtaining and maintaining permanent housing, including any of the following:
• Rapid rehousing, including rental subsidies and incentives to landlords, such as security deposits and holding fees.
• Operating subsidies in new and existing affordable or supportive housing units, emergency shelters and navigation centers.
• Street outreach to assist persons experiencing homelessness to access permanent housing and services.
• Services coordination, which may include access to workforce, education, and training programs, or other services needed to promote housing stability in supportive housing.
• Systems support for activities necessary to create regional partnerships and maintain a homeless services and housing delivery system.
• Delivery of permanent housing and innovative housing solutions, such as hotel and motel conversions.
• Prevention and shelter diversion to permanent housing, including rental subsidies.
• Interim sheltering, limited to newly developed clinically enhanced congregate shelters, new or existing non-congregate shelters, and operations of existing navigation centers and shelters.
• Improvements to existing emergency shelters to lower barriers and increase privacy.
Pursuant to the HHAP Program allocation formula, which is based on the proportionate share of the state’s total homeless population as reflected by a point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness, California Interagency Council on Homelessness allocated $2,547,368.97 to the Humboldt Housing and Homeless Coalition and $2,377,544.38 to the County of Humboldt. The Humboldt Housing and Homeless Coalition authorized the County of Humboldt to file a joint application for the third round of HHAP Program funding on its behalf for a combined allocation of $4,924,913.35.
On Dec. 23, 2021, the California Interagency Council on Homelessness announced that the County of Humboldt had been awarded an initial disbursement in the amount of $1,231,228.34 in HHAP Program funding. On May 3, 2022, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approved, and ratified the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Director’s execution of, the initial disbursement State Standard Agreement with the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, and authorized the DHHS Director, or a designee thereof, to execute any and all subsequent amendments and any other agreements, certifications and documents required or deemed necessary for DHHS to accept and secure funding made available through Round Three of the HHAP Program, after review and approval by County Counsel, Risk Management and the County Administrative Office.
On June 14, 2022, the Board received a presentation by DHHS and the California Center for Rural Policy on the HHAP Local Action Plan. DHHS submitted the HHAP Local Action Plan and the application for funding to the California Interagency Council on Homelessness on June 24, 2022. On Nov. 21, 2022, the California Interagency Council on Homelessness notified DHHS that the County of Humboldt had been awarded an HHAP Round Three Remainder Disbursement in the amount of $3,693,685.01, bringing the total amount awarded under Round Three of the HHAP Program to $4,924,913.35.
On Oct. 21, 2022, DHHS issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) which solicited proposals from qualified community organizations interested in working collaboratively with the County of Humboldt to implement various eligible projects that would be funded by the third round of HHAP Program funding. DHHS received proposals from six entities in response to the above-referenced RFP, which contained funding requests totaling $13,781,543.59. After reviewing and evaluating each proposal in accordance with the applicable evaluation and selection criteria, the RFP Evaluation Committee determined four projects should receive HHAP Program funding. The Board subsequently approved funding allocations recommended by the RFP Evaluation Committee for the above-referenced projects, which included the project proposed by Arcata House Partnership on Feb. 7, 2023.
On Oct. 24, 2023, the Board approved a professional services agreement with Arcata House Partnership regarding the provision of emergency shelter, case management and supportive services to individuals over 18 years of age who are experiencing homelessness in Humboldt County in an amount not to exceed $955,819.50 for the period of July 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024. On October 1, 2024, the above-referenced professional services agreement with Arcata House Partnership expired with $288,572.24 in HHAP Program funding remaining unspent.
The attached professional services agreement with Arcata House Partnership will support the continued provision of emergency shelter, case management and supportive services to individuals over 18 years of age who are experiencing homelessness in Humboldt County that are consistent with the County of Humboldt’s goals and objectives for reducing homelessness in Humboldt County for the period of October 1, 2024 through April 30, 2025. It should be noted that the attached professional services agreement with Arcata House Partnership comes to the Board after the start date thereof due to inadvertent delays that occurred during the contract development process.
Accordingly, DHHS recommends that the Board approve, and authorize the Chair of the Board to execute, the attached professional services agreement with Arcata House Partnership regarding the provision of emergency shelter, case management and supportive services to individuals who are experiencing homelessness in Humboldt County for the period of Oct. 1, 2024 through April 30, 2025. Staff also recommend that the Board authorize the DHHS Director, or a designee thereof, to execute any and all subsequent amendments to the attached professional services agreement with Arcata House Partnership, after review and approval by County Counsel, Risk Management and the County Administrative Office in order to avoid any unnecessary delays in the provision of needed permanent housing, case management and supportive services to eligible members of the Target Population.
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Social Services Fund (1160-520), Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Program
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
|
Expenditures (1160-520) |
FY24-25 |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$288,572.24 |
|
Total Expenditures |
$288,572.24 |
|
Funding Sources (1160-520) |
FY24-25 |
|
State/Federal Funds |
$288,572.24 |
|
Total Funding Sources |
$288,572.24 |
The attached professional services agreement with Arcata House Partnership has a maximum amount payable of $288,572.24 for the period of Oct. 1, 2024 through April 30, 2025. However, in the event that local, state or federal funding is reduced or eliminated, the County of Humboldt may reduce the above-referenced maximum amount payable or terminate the attached professional services agreement with Arcata House Partnership in its entirety.
Expenditure appropriations related to the attached professional services agreement with Arcata House Partnership have been included in the approved fiscal year 2024-2025 budget for DHHS - Social Services budget unit 1160-520. Funding for the attached professional services agreement with Arcata House Partnership is available through HHAP Program revenues received by DHHS.
STAFFING IMPACT:
Approval of the attached professional services agreement with the Arcata House Partnership will not impact current staffing levels.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board may choose not to approve the attached professional services agreement with Arcata House Partnership regarding the provision of emergency shelter, case management and supportive services to individuals who are experiencing homelessness in Humboldt County. However, this alternative is not recommended as your Board’s approval will allow for the provision of needed emergency shelter, case management and supportive services through the use of funds that would not otherwise be available to the County of Humboldt.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Professional Services Agreement with the Arcata House Partnership Regarding the Provision of Emergency Shelter, Case Management and Supportive Services to Individuals who are Experiencing Homelessness in Humboldt County
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Meeting of: 10/24/2023
File No.: 23-1206