To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Administration
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT: title
Recommended Allocations in the Amount of $4,665,969.75 Made Available through the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve the recommended allocations of funding made available through the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program; and
2. Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services Director, or a designee thereof, to enter into contract negotiations with the selected organizations; and
3. Direct the Clerk of the Board to provide the Department of Health and Human Services - Contract Unit with one (1) fully executed, certified copy of the Board order related to this Item.
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 September 29, 2023, the California Interagency Council on Homelessness announced the availability of Eight Hundred Sixty-Nine Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($869,500,000.00) in noncompetitive block grant funds for the fifth round of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program (“HHAP Program”). 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, without limitation, all of the following:
• Rental assistance, housing relocation and stabilization, outreach, coordination, homelessness prevention and shelter diversion services;
• Security deposits, holding fees and other landlord incentives;
• Operating subsidies in new and existing affordable or supportive housing units, emergency shelters and navigation centers;
• 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 a point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness, the California Interagency Council on Homelessness allocated Two Million Three Hundred Eighty-One Thousand Three Hundred Eleven Dollars and Ninety-One Cents ($2,381,311.91) to the Humboldt Housing and Homelessness Coalition and Two Million Two Hundred Eighty-Four Thousand Six Hundred Fifty-Seven Dollars and Eighty-Four Cents ($2,284,657.84) to the County of Humboldt. The Humboldt Housing and Homelessness Coalition authorized the County to file a joint application for the fifth round of HHAP Program funding on its behalf for a combined allocation of Four Million Six Hundred Sixty-Five Thousand Nine Hundred Sixty-Nine Dollars and Seventy-Five Cents ($4,665,969.75).
On October 17, 2024, the California Department of Housing and Community Development, which assumed responsibility for the HHAP Program effective July 1, 2024, announced that Humboldt County had been awarded Four Million Six Hundred Sixty-Five Thousand Nine Hundred Sixty-Nine Dollars and Seventy-Five Cents ($4,665,969.75). The Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services (“DHHS”) subsequently 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 fifth round of HHAP Program funding, on March 24, 2025. DHHS received proposals from five (5) entities in response to the above-referenced RFP, which contained funding requests totaling Four Million Six Hundred Two Thousand Five Hundred Nineteen Dollars and Five Cents ($4,602,519.05).
The funding requests received and evaluated by the RFP Evaluation Committee are as follows:
• 2-1-1 Humboldt Information and Resource Center:
o Requested HHAP Program Allocation:
o Twenty-Seven Thousand Five Hundred Eighty-One Dollars ($27,581.00).
o Recommended Allocation: Twenty-Seven Thousand Five Hundred Eighty-One Dollars ($27,581.00) for Coordinated Entry System services.
• Arcata House Partnership:
o Requested HHAP Program Allocation:
o One Million Three Hundred Eighty-Four Thousand One Hundred Fifty-One Dollars ($1,384,151.00).
o Recommended Allocation: Nine Hundred Five Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty-Eight Dollars ($905,758.00) in operating subsidies for The Grove and Ke-Mey-Ek’ Place Homekey Program-funded permanent housing projects.
• City of Eureka:
o Requested HHAP Program Allocation:
o One Million Two Hundred Ninety-Five Thousand Five Hundred Forty-Four Dollars ($1,295,544.00).
o Recommended Allocation: Five Hundred Sixty-Eight Thousand Two Hundred Fifty-Three Dollars and Eighty-Four Cents ($568,253.84) for tenant-based rental assistance, street outreach and supportive services.
• Redwood Community Action Agency:
o Requested HHAP Program Allocation:
o One Million Six Hundred Seventy-Two Thousand Nine Hundred Fifty-Three Dollars and Five Cents ($1,672,953.05).
o Recommended Allocation: Seven Hundred Thirteen Thousand Twenty-Seven Dollars and Twenty-Three Cents ($713,027.23) for tenant-based rental assistance, street outreach and supportive services. Two Hundred Thirty-Eight Thousand One Hundred Thirty-One Dollars and Nineteen Cents ($238,131.19) of the total is recommended to be dedicated to youth, and Four Hundred Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($475,000.00) is recommended for elder and dependent adults referred by DHHS - Adult Protective Services.
• Redwoods Rural Health Center:
o Requested HHAP Program Allocation: Three Hundred Sixty-Seven Thousand Two Hundred Four Dollars ($367,204.00).
o Recommended Allocation: This project is not recommended for funding.
Accordingly, DHHS and the RFP Evaluation Committee recommend that the Board of Supervisors 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.
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Social Services Fund (1160-520)
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
|
Expenditures (1160-520) |
FY25-26 Projected* |
FY26-27 Projected* |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$1,545,141.00 |
$1,545,141.00 |
|
Total Expenditures |
$1,545,141.00 |
$1,545,141.00 |
|
Funding Sources (1160-520) |
FY25-26 Projected* |
FY26-27 Projected* |
|
General Fund |
$1,545,141.00 |
$1,545,141.00 |
|
Total Funding Sources |
$1,545,141.00 |
$1,545,141.00 |
*Projected amounts are estimates and are subject to change.
The total cost of the recommended allocations of the fifth round of HHAP Program funding is Two Million Two Hundred Fourteen Thousand Six Hundred Twenty Dollars and Seven Cents ($2,214,620.07). Three Hundred Twenty-Six Thousand Six Hundred Seventeen Dollars and Eighty-Eight Cents ($326,617.88), or seven percent (7%), of the HHAP Program funds allocated to the County of Humboldt has been set aside to cover administrative costs incurred by DHHS. An additional Two Million One Hundred Twenty-Four Thousand Seven Hundred Thirty-One Dollars and Eighty Cents ($2,124,731.80) in HHAP Program funding has been set aside for homeless assistance projects operated by DHHS’ Housing, Outreach and Mobile Engagement Program and the Transition Age Youth Division.
Revenue and expenditure appropriations related to the recommended allocations of the fifth round of HHAP Program funding have been included in the proposed fiscal year 2025-26 budget for DHHS - Social Services HOME budget unit 1160-520. Funding for the recommended allocations is available through HHAP Program revenues received by DHHS - Social Services.
STAFFING IMPACT:
Approval of the recommended allocations of the fifth round of HHAP Program funding will not impact current staffing levels.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Your Board could choose to not to accept the proposed allocations, however, that is not recommended as these allocations were determined after a robust RFP process.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Request for Proposals No. DHHS2025-01
2. 2-1-1 Humboldt Information and Resource Center Proposal
3. Arcata House Partnership Proposals
4. City of Eureka Proposal
5. Redwood Community Action Agency Proposals
6. Redwoods Rural Health Center Proposal
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Meeting of: 3/26/2024
File No.: 24-334