To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Administration
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
California Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program Funding Recommendations
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve, and ratify the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services Director’s execution of, the attached state standard agreements with the California Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council regarding acceptance of funding made available through the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program;
2. Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services Director, or a designee thereof, to execute any and all subsequent amendments to the attached state standard agreements with the California Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council, and any other agreements, certifications and documents, required or deemed necessary for the Department of Health and Human Services to accept and secure funding made available through the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program, after review and approval by County Counsel, Risk Management and the County Administrative Office;
3. Approve the recommended allocations of funding made available through the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program; and
4. Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services Director, or a designee thereof, to enter into contract negotiations with the selected organizations.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Social Services Fund
DISCUSSION:
On November 13, 2020, the California Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council (HCFC) announced the availability of $300,000,000 in noncompetitive block grant funds for Round 2 of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Program (Attachment 1). The HHAP Program is intended to allow cities, counties and local Continuums of Care to address 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 people experiencing homelessness with obtaining and maintaining permanent housing, including all of the following:
• Rental assistance, housing relocation and stabilization, outreach, coordination, homelessness prevention and shelter diversion services;
• Operating subsidies in new and existing affordable or supportive housing units, emergency shelters and navigation centers;
• Security deposits, holding fees and other landlord incentives;
• Operational support related to the creation and maintenance of a homeless services and housing delivery system; and
• Capital improvements, including, without limitation, conversion of hotels or motels to permanent housing and construction of new navigation centers and emergency shelters based on demonstrated jurisdictional need.
Pursuant to the HHAP Program allocation formula, which is based on the proportionate share of the state’s total homeless population as reflected by the 2019 point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness, the County of Humboldt has been allocated $849,123, and the Humboldt County Continuum of Care has been allocated $948,677 in HHAP Program funding. The Humboldt Housing and Homeless Coalition, which serves as the Continuum of Care for Humboldt County, has designated the county as the administrative entity to receive and administer funding made available through the HHAP Program. As a result, the county is the only entity that may apply for the HHAP Program funding allocated to the Humboldt County Continuum of Care.
On Jan. 23, 2021, the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) submitted two applications for HHAP Program funding in accordance with the requirements of the Notice of Funding Availability issued by HCFC on Nov. 13, 2020. On July 8, 2021, HCFC notified DHHS that $1,797,800 in HHAP Program funding would be awarded to the county upon final execution of the attached state standard agreements (Attachments 2-3).
On June 7, 2021, DHHS issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) which solicited proposals from qualified community organizations interested in working collaboratively with the county to implement various eligible projects that would be funded by the $882,269.61 in HHAP Program funding allocated to the Humboldt County Continuum of Care, after setting aside 7% of the allocation for administrative costs (Attachment 4).
DHHS received a total of three proposals in response to the above-referenced RFP, which contained funding requests totaling $1,149,366. After reviewing and evaluating each proposal in accordance with the applicable evaluation and selection criteria, the RFP Evaluation Committee determined all three projects are qualified to receive HHAP Program funding.
The funding requests received and evaluated by the RFP Evaluation Committee are as follows:
• Redwoods Rural Health Center - Emergency Shelter Program (Attachment 5).
o Requested HHAP Program Allocation: $411,746.00
• Redwood Community Action Agency - Adult Rapid Rehousing Program (Attachment 6).
o Requested HHAP Program Allocation: $495,940
• Redwood Community Action Agency - Youth Rapid Rehousing Program (Attachment 7).
o Requested HHAP Program Allocation: $241,680.00
The RFP Evaluation Committee is recommending that $411,746 in HHAP Program funding be allocated to the emergency shelter project proposed by Redwoods Rural Health Center. The RFP Evaluation Committee is also recommending that a combined total of $470,523.61 in HHAP Program funding be allocated to the two rapid rehousing projects proposed by Redwood Community Action Agency projects, with a minimum of $143,824 allocated to the Rapid Rehousing Program for youth in order to meet the HHAP Program requirement that 8% of available funding be set aside for youth. Redwood Community Action Agency has expressed that they appreciate the flexibility that the RFP Evaluation Committee has recommended and will be sending DHHS staff their proposed budgets for fiscal year (FY) 2022-23. These projects are currently supported by funds awarded to the Humboldt County Continuum of Care as part of Round 1 of the HHAP Program through Sept. 30, 2022.
Accordingly, DHHS recommends that the Board approve, and ratify the DHHS Director’s execution of, the attached state standard agreements with HCFC regarding acceptance of funding made available through the HHAP Program. It is also recommended that the Board authorize the DHHS Director, or a designee thereof, to execute any and all subsequent amendments to the attached state standard agreements with HCFC, and any other agreements, certifications and documents, required or deemed necessary for DHHS to accept and secure funding made available through the HHAP Program, after review and approval by County Counsel, Risk Management and the County Administrative Office, in order to avoid any unnecessary delays in the receipt of HHAP Program funding. Finally, it is recommended that the Board approve the recommended allocations of HHAP Program funding, and authorize the DHHS Director, or a designee thereof, to enter into contract negotiations with the selected organizations.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The total cost of the recommended allocations of HHAP Program funding is $882,269.61. The remaining $66,407.39, or 7%, of the HHAP Program funds allocated to the Humboldt County Continuum of Care has been set aside to cover administrative costs incurred by DHHS. The county’s allocation of $849,123 in HHAP Program funding will be utilized by DHHS in accordance with any and all applicable HHAP Program requirements.
Expenditure appropriations related to the recommended allocations of HHAP Program funding have been included in the approved FY 2021-22 budget for DHHS - Social Services HOME budget unit 1160-520. As a result, approval of the recommended allocations of HHAP Program funding will not impact the Humboldt County General Fund.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
The recommended actions support the Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Framework by protecting vulnerable populations, creating opportunities for improved safety and health and providing community-appropriate levels of service.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Board discretion.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program Notice of Funding Availability dated November 13, 2020
2. State of California Standard Agreement No. 21-HHAP-00065
a. State of California Standard Agreement No. 21-HHAP-00065 Exhibits A-E
3. State of California Standard Agreement No. 21-HHAP-00066
a. State of California Standard Agreement No. 21-HHAP-00066 Exhibits A-E
4. Request for Proposals No. DHHS2021-02 Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program
5. Redwood Rural Health Center Emergency Shelter Program Proposal
6. Redwood Community Action Agency Adult Rapid Rehousing Program Proposal
7. Redwood Community Action Agency Youth Rapid Rehousing Program Proposal
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: N/A
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: N/A