To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Administration
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Recommended Allocations of Funding Made Available through the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency’s Homeless Emergency Aid Program
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve the recommended allocations of funding made available through the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency’s Homeless Emergency Aid 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.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Mental Health Fund
DISCUSSION:
The California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency issued a Notice of Funding Availability for the Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) on Sept. 5, 2018 (Attachment 1). HEAP funds are intended to allow counties and cities throughout the State of California to provide immediate emergency assistance to people experiencing homelessness or at-risk of experiencing homelessness.
The parameters of HEAP are intentionally broad in order to allow local governmental agencies to craft programs that meet the specific needs of their communities. As a result, HEAP funds may be used for a variety of purposes including, without limitation, all of the following:
• Direct services such as emergency assistance, homelessness prevention, street outreach, health and safety education, and criminal justice diversion programs;
• Rental assistance such as housing vouchers, rapid re-housing and eviction prevention programs; and
• Capital improvements such as emergency shelters, transitional housing, drop-in centers, permanent supportive housing and improvements to current structures that serve homeless individuals and families.
On Jan. 22, 2019 (Item C-11), the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors authorized the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Director to accept HEAP funding in the amount of $2,565,245.24. As required by applicable HEAP guidelines, 5 percent of the HEAP funds awarded to the county, which equals $128,262.26, must be reserved for projects that are intended to support homeless youth within Humboldt County.
On Feb. 15, 2019, DHHS issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) which solicited proposals from qualified community organizations interested in working collaboratively with the county to implement various service-based and/or capital improvement projects that address the needs of persons experiencing homelessness in accordance with any and all applicable HEAP requirements (Attachment 2).
DHHS received a total of 15 proposals in response to the above-referenced RFP, which contained funding requests totaling $6,918,922.08. After reviewing and evaluating each proposal in accordance with the applicable evaluation and selection criteria, the RFP Evaluation Committee, which included three members of the Humboldt Housing & Homeless Coalition, selected a total of 11 projects that are qualified to receive HEAP funding.
The projects that have been selected by the RFP Evaluation Committee for funding recommendation include all of the following:
• City of Arcata - Purchase of 5 1-bedroom manufactured homes in the Arcata Mobile Home Park (Attachment 3).
o Requested HEAP Allocation: $450,000
o Recommended HEAP Allocation: $400,000
• Housing Authority of the County of Humboldt - HEAP Move-in Assistance Payments Program (Attachment 4).
o Requested HEAP Allocation: $130,800
o Recommended HEAP Allocation: $130,800
• Arcata House Partnership - Purchase and renovation of a new adult emergency shelter (Attachment 5).
o Requested HEAP Allocation: $527,400
o Recommended HEAP Allocation: $477,400
• DHHS - Mental Health - Augmentation of the Housing, Outreach and Mobile Engagement Program (Attachment 6).
o Requested HEAP Allocation: $250,000
o Recommended HEAP Allocation: $185,563
• Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives, Inc. - Purchase of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant mobile shower and restroom trailer (Attachment 7).
o Requested HEAP Allocation: $99,850
o Recommended HEAP Allocation: $99,850
• Humboldt Senior Resource Center - Homelessness prevention program for seniors (Attachment 8).
o Requested HEAP Allocation: $323,529
o Recommended HEAP Allocation: $323,529
• Humboldt County Public Defender - Hire 1 Social Worker III to engage homeless Public Defender clients (Attachment 9).
o Requested HEAP Allocation: $279,599
o Recommended HEAP Allocation: $274,599
• DHHS - Transition Age Youth Division - Hire 1 Mental Health Case Manager; purchase of a washer and dryer; and installation of an ADA-compliant youth shower facility (Attachment 10).
o Requested HEAP Allocation: $211,866
o Recommended HEAP Allocation: $20,890
• Redwood Community Action Agency - Expansion of the Community Housing Program to provide: 5 new beds; safe heating in existing youth shelters; transportation resources; and assistance in acquiring permanent housing (Attachment 11).
o Requested HEAP Allocation: $260,908
o Recommended HEAP Allocation: $106,852
• Arcata House Partnership - Maintain current emergency shelter staff and hire additional shelter staff (Attachment 12).
o Requested HEAP Allocation: $887,678
o Recommended HEAP Allocation: $192,500
• City of Eureka - Expansion of the City’s UPLIFT Program (Attachment 13).
o Requested HEAP Allocation: $600,817
o Recommended HEAP Allocation: $225,000
The projects that were not selected by the RFP Evaluation Committee for funding recommendation include all of the following:
• Redwood Community Action Agency - Expansion of the Community Housing Program for households who are experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness (Attachment 14).
o Requested HEAP Allocation: $748,698
• DHHS - Public Health - Supplementation of the North Coast AIDS Project to further promote housing stability and independent living (Attachment 15).
o Requested HEAP Allocation: $500,000
• DHHS - Employment Training Division - Expansion of the Helping Humboldt program to provide a second tier of employment readiness for individuals experiencing homelessness (Attachment 16).
o Requested HEAP Allocation: $628,712
• College of the Redwoods - Provide emergency assistance, homelessness prevention services and housing and motel vouchers to students experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity while attending College of the Redwoods (Attachment 17).
o Requested HEAP Allocation: $1,019,065.08
Accordingly, DHHS recommends that the Board approve the recommended allocations of HEAP 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 HEAP funding is $2,436,983. The remaining $128,262, or 5 percent, of the HEAP funds awarded to the county has been set aside to cover administrative costs incurred by DHHS.
Approval of the recommended funding allocations will allow DHHS to obligate HEAP funds in the amount of $2,565,245.24. As part of the county budget process for Fiscal Year 2019-2020, DHHS - Mental Health Financial Services Unit has created a new budget unit in Fund 1170, Budget Unit 426, HOME. The new proposed budget unit will contain housing grants and expenditures. The HEAP grant was accounted for and budgeted in this budget unit. As a result, the expenditure of HEAP funds will not impact the Humboldt County General Fund.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
The recommended actions support the Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Framework by creating opportunities for improved safety and health and protecting vulnerable populations.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Board discretion.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Homeless Emergency Aid Program Notice of Funding Availability dated September 5, 2018
2. RFP No. DHHS2019-01
3. City of Arcata Proposal
a. City of Arcata Attachment 1
b. City of Arcata Attachment 2
c. City of Arcata Attachment 3
d. City of Arcata Attachment 3, Exhibit A
e. City of Arcata Attachment 3, Exhibit B
f. City of Arcata Attachment 3, Exhibit C
g. City of Arcata Attachment 3, Exhibits D-F
h. City of Arcata Attachment 3, Exhibits G-K
4. Housing Authority of the County of Humboldt Proposal
5. Arcata House Partnership Emergency Shelter Proposal
6. DHHS - Mental Health Proposal
7. Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives, Inc. Proposal
8. Humboldt Senior Resource Center Proposal
9. Humboldt County Public Defender Proposal
10. DHHS - Transition Age Youth Division Proposal
11. Redwood Community Action Agency Youth Proposal
12. Arcata House Partnership Shelter Staffing Proposal
13. City of Eureka Proposal
a. City of Eureka Attachment 1
b. City of Eureka Attachment 2
c. City of Eureka Attachment 3
d. City of Eureka Attachment 4
e. City of Eureka Attachment 5
f. City of Eureka Attachment 6
g. City of Eureka Attachment 7
h. City of Eureka Attachment 8
i. City of Eureka Attachment 9
14. Redwood Community Action Agency Household Proposal
15. DHHS - Public Health Proposal
a. DHHS Public Health Attachment 1
b. DHHS Public Health Attachment 2
c. DHHS Public Health Attachment 3
d. DHHS Public Health Attachment 4
e. DHHS Public Health Attachment 5
f. DHHS Public Health Attachment 6
g. DHHS Public Health Attachment 7
16. DHHS - Employment Training Division Proposal
a. DHHS Employment Training Division Attachment A
b. DHHS Employment Training Division Attachment B
c. DHHS Employment Training Division Attachment C-1
d. DHHS Employment Training Division Attachment C-2
e. DHHS Employment Training Division Attachment C-3
f. DHHS Employment Training Division Attachment C-4
17. College of the Redwoods Proposal
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: C-11
Meeting of: 01/22/19
File No.: 19-69, 19-529