REPORT TO SHASTA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

BOARD MEETING DATE:  July  17, 2018
CATEGORY:  Consent - Health and Human Services-15.

SUBJECT:

Emergency Solutions Grant Program Application in the amount of $200,000 to provide Rapid Rehousing Program funds in the Continuum of Care Region.

Supervisorial District No. :  ALL

DEPARTMENT CONTACT:  Laura Burch, Director of Housing and Community Action Agency (530) 225-5160

STAFF REPORT APPROVED BY:  Laura Burch, Director of Housing and Community Action Agency

RECOMMENDATION

Adopt a resolution which:  (1)  Approves and authorizes the Director of Housing and Community Action Programs (Director) to sign and submit an application, all application documents and participation documents, including retroactive, to the California Department of Housing and Community Development in an amount not to exceed $200,000 for Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program funding for the period March 1, 2019 through July 31, 2021; and (2) approves and authorizes the Chairman or Vice Chairman to sign the grant agreement and subsequent amendments, including retroactive, and all required documents or instruments for participation in the ESG Program, awarded for the program consistent with the provisions of the resolution in an amount not to exceed $200,000, provided they otherwise comply with Administrative Policy 6-101, Shasta County Contracts Manual.

SUMMARY

Upon approval of the recommendation, a grant application will be submitted to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) requesting Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program funding to receive $200,000 for Rapid Rehousing, Homeless Management Information System, and Homeless Prevention programs.

DISCUSSION

In 2016 HCD redesigned its ESG Program to establish a dedicated Continuum of Care Allocation available to all jurisdiction, included entitlement jurisdiction, designated by HCD.  Through this redesign, HCD allocates funds according census data, homeless count information and poverty level.  In the Redding/Shasta County, Del Norte, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Sierra, Siskiyou Continuum of Care (NorCal COC), $272,225 is available for allocations.  Furthermore, the HCD allocation method allows for each continuum to take up to fifty percent of the total allocation for non-competitive allocations within the NorCal COC service area.  For NorCal COC, the service area consists of Del Norte, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Sierra, Shasta, and Siskiyou counties.  The remaining fifty percent of the allocation is reserved for a competitive application process whereby HCD rates and ranks the applications.  The competitive applications are rated and ranked among eight other continuums of like size as the NorCal COC.

According to the 2018 ESG Notice of Funds Available (NOFA) released June 8, 2018, HCD received approximately $5 million dollars in federal ESG funds from US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  Per Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 24 576.201, federal ESG funds require dollar for dollar match.  Match funding is provided using Health and Human Service Agency’s (HHSA) California Department of Social Services/Housing and Homeless Bureau Housing Disability Advocacy Program funds. 

On April 5, 2018, the Continuum of Care Coordinator released a request for funding to NorCal COC service area in anticipation of the NOFA being released by HCD in June of 2018.  A committee was selected to review applications received within the service area and recommended applications to apply for non-competitive allocations and the competitive allocations.  Through that process, Shasta County Housing & Community Action Programs was recommended to apply for the competitive allocation amount of $200,000.  These funds will be used to: (1) operate a Rapid-Rehousing program in conjunction with the existing Rapid-Rehousing programs currently in operation, (2) start up a Homeless Prevention program to prevent households from becoming homeless, (3) contribute to the operation of NorCal COC’s Homeless Management Information System, and (4) contribute to staff salaries and benefits to operate programs. 

The grant application is due on August 7, 2018.  HCD intends to send award letters to successful applicants in November 2018.  The grant term would likely expire July 2021.

ALTERNATIVES

The Board of Supervisors could decline to approve the resolution.  This alternative is not recommended as these funds could leverage future funds.

OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT

This recommendation has been reviewed by the Health and Human Services Agency Regional Services Branch and by the County Administrative Office.  County Counsel has approved the resolution as to form.

FINANCING

ESG is funding allocated by the California Department of Housing and Community Development.  If the application is successful, an ESG grant of $200,000 could be awarded.  Funds will be provided monthly on a reimbursement basis.

Should this grant application be approved by HCD, a budget amendment will be requested.  Grant revenue not expended during one fiscal year will roll forward to the next fiscal year.  There is a one for one match requirement for this grant application which is funded by HHSA and the Community Action Agency. There is no additional General Fund impact associated with approval of the recommendation.