To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Administration
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Recommended Allocations of Funding Made Available through the California Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program
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:
Behavioral Health Fund - Fund 1170
DISCUSSION:
On Dec. 6, 2019, the California Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council (“HCFC”) announced the availability of $640 million in noncompetitive block grant funds for 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 One $1,857,456.54, and the Humboldt County Continuum of Care has been allocated $2,004,964.93, in HHAP funding. The Humboldt Housing and Homeless Coalition, which serves as the Continuum of Care for Humboldt County, has designated the County of Humboldt as the administrative entity to receive and administer funding made available through the HHAP Program. As a result, the County of Humboldt is the only entity that may apply for the HHAP Program funding allocated to the Humboldt County Continuum of Care.
On Feb. 11, 2020, the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) submitted two applications for HHAP funding in accordance with the requirements of the Notice of Funding Availability issued by HCFC on Dec. 6, 2019. On March 30, 2020, HCFC notified DHHS that $3,862,421.47 in HHAP funding would be awarded to the County of Humboldt upon final execution of the attached state standard agreements (Attachments 2-3).
On April 21, 2020, 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 $2,004,964.93 in HHAP Program funding allocated to the Humboldt County Continuum of Care (Attachment 4).
DHHS received a total of eight proposals in response to the above-referenced RFP, which contained funding requests totaling $4,460,700.99. After reviewing and evaluating each proposal in accordance with the applicable evaluation and selection criteria, the RFP Evaluation Committee determined all eight projects are qualified to receive HHAP funding.
The funding recommendations from the RFP Evaluation Committee are as follows:
• Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives - Shower Care-A-Van operating expenses (Attachment 5).
o Requested HHAP Allocation: $115,455.
o Recommended HHAP Allocation: $30,000.
• Arcata House Partnership - Family Shelter Program (Attachment 6).
o Requested HHAP Allocation: $680,000.
o Recommended HHAP Allocation: $50,000.
• Arcata House Partnership - Rapid Rehousing Program (Attachment 7).
o Requested HHAP Allocation: $1,221,362.
o Recommended HHAP Allocation: $212,901.20.
• Betty Kwan Chinn Homeless Foundation - Operation of a new “Annex” facility for women with children (Attachment 8).
o Requested HHAP Allocation: $209,002.
o Recommended HHAP Allocation: $159,002.
• City of Eureka - Expansion of the City’s UPLIFT Program (Attachment 9).
o Requested HHAP Allocation: $689,718.99.
o Recommended HHAP Allocation: $344,000.
• Redwood Community Action Agency - Youth Services Bureau (Attachment 10).
o Requested HHAP Allocation: $636,546.
o Recommended HHAP Allocation: $308,993.73.
• Redwood Community Action Agency - Community Housing Program (Attachment 11).
o Requested HHAP Allocation: $857,201.
o Recommended HHAP Allocation: $708,604.46.
• Salvation Army - Rental Assistance Program (Attachment 12).
o Requested HHAP Allocation: $51,116.
o Recommended HHAP Allocation: $51,116.
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. Staff also recommends 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 funding. Finally, staff recommends 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 $1,864,617.30. The remaining $140,347.54, or 7%, of the HHAP funds allocated to the Humboldt County Continuum of Care has been set aside to cover administrative costs incurred by DHHS. The County of Humboldt’s allocation of $1,857,456.54 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 fiscal year 2020-2021 budget for DHHS - Behavioral Health HOME budget unit 1170-426. As a result, approval of the recommended allocations of HHAP 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 and creating opportunities for improved safety and health.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Board discretion.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program Notice of Funding Availability dated December 6, 2019
2. 20-HHAP-00002 Standard Agreement
3. 20-HHAP-00004 Standard Agreement
4. RFP No. DHHS2020-05 Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program
5. Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives Proposal
6. Arcata House Partnership Family Shelter Proposal
7. Arcata House Partnership Rapid Rehousing Proposal
8. Betty Kwan Chinn Homeless Foundation Proposal
9. City of Eureka Proposal
10. Redwood Community Action Agency Youth Services Bureau Proposal
11. Redwood Community Action Agency Community Housing Program Proposal
12. Salvation Army Proposal
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: N/A
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: 20-957