REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
October 21, 2025
FROM
MARCUS DILLARD, Chief of Homeless Services, Office of Homeless Services
SUBJECT
Title
Contract with International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, DBA New Life Fellowship, for Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Round 4 Program Services, on Behalf of the San Bernardino City and County Continuum of Care
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RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve contract, including non-standard terms, with International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, DBA New Life Fellowship, for the provision of Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Round 4 program services on behalf of the San Bernardino City and County Continuum of Care, in an amount not to exceed $359,693, for the period of October 21, 2025 through June 30, 2027.
2. Authorize the Chief Executive Officer, Assistant Executive Officer, or Chief of Homeless Services to approve and execute any subsequent non-substantive amendments to the contract with International Church of the Foursquare Gospel DBA New Life Fellowship, for the provision of Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Round 4 program services on behalf of the San Bernardino City and County Continuum of Care, subject to County Counsel review.
3. Direct the Chief of Homeless Services to transmit all non-substantive amendments to the contract with International Church of the Foursquare Gospel DBA New Life Fellowship to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Marcus Dillard, Chief of Homeless Services, 501-0644)
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COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The contract, in an amount not to exceed $359,693, will be funded from the State of California Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Round 4 (HHAP-4) program block grant awarded to the San Bernardino City and County Continuum of Care (SBC CoC).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Approval of the contract listed in Recommendation No. 1 will allow for the CoC’s allocation of HHAP-4 funds to be distributed to homeless services providers to prevent and alleviate the impact of homelessness on individuals and families in the High Desert region.
On September 30, 2022, the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) released a Notice of Funding Availability for HHAP-4 grant funding. HHAP-4 funding was made available as non-competitive allocations to eligible grantees, including California’s CoCs, large cities (with a population of 300,000 or more as of January 1, 2020), counties, and federally recognized tribal governments. Funding allocations are based on the eligible applicant’s proportionate share of the state’s homeless population as reported by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development 2019 Point-In-Time Count.
On November 15, 2022 (Item No. 28), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved and authorized the submission of the HHAP-4 grant application to the State for the CoC in the estimated amount of $3,901,874 for regional support, and for the County in the estimated amount of $3,641,749.
On May 9, 2023 (Item No. 21), the Board accepted and approved Agreement No. 23-324 for HHAP-4 grant award funds from Cal ICH to support regional coordination and expand or develop local capacity to address immediate homelessness challenges, in the amount of $4,430,501.22, for the term of July 11, 2023 through December 31, 2027.
On September 27, 2023, the local Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH), the SBC CoC’s governing Board, allocated $4,430,501.22 to aid regional service projects for homeless individuals and families. ICH recommended HHAP-4 funding be utilized in support of these efforts to help homeless individuals and families exit homelessness and achieve permanent housing stability through outreach, case management, rapid rehousing, assistance with housing identification and placement services. Service providers will also work toward preventing homelessness through diversion and eviction prevention activities such as utility, rent, and food assistance.
On December 3, 2024 (Item No. 30), the Board approved contracts for eight ICH approved agencies, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $1,840,394, to prevent and alleviate the impact of homelessness on individuals and families throughout the county.
On February 25, 2025 (Item No. 23), the Board approved contracts for five additional CoC Board (formerly known as ICH in 2024 and prior years) approved agencies, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $1,266,349, for the provision of HHAP- 4 program services.
This contract with International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, DBA New Life Fellowship (Contractor) contains the following non-standard contract terms:
1. The Contractor’s indemnity obligation is narrowed to claims arising from the Contractor’s breach of contract, negligence, or willful misconduct.
• The County standard contract general indemnity provision requires the Contractor to indemnify, defend, and hold County harmless from third party claims arising out of the acts, errors or omissions of any person.
• Potential Impact: Contractor’s indemnity obligation is more limited compared to the standard County general indemnity obligation. In the event a claim arises that falls outside of the scope of the Contractor’s limited indemnity obligation, the County could be financial responsible for the defense of the claim and any resulting judgment/settlement.
2. The Contractor’s insurance obligations are different from the County’s insurance standards as required pursuant to County Policy Nos. 11-05, 11-07 and 11-07SP.
• County policy requires contractors to carry appropriate insurance at limits and under conditions determined by the County’s Risk Management Department and as set forth in County policy and in the County standard contract.
• Potential Impact: Contractor’s waiver of subrogation rights applies to this contract only.
The Office of Homeless Services (OHS) recommends entering into this contract despite the non-standard provisions because the specialized services provided by the Contractor are critical to meeting program needs in the High Desert Region. The narrowed indemnification and insurance clauses were necessary to secure their participation. At the same time, the provisions still protect the County by requiring the Contractor to carry broad insurance coverage, name the County as an additional insured, waive rights of subrogation, and ensure that the Contractor’s insurance is primary. These negotiated terms strike a balance between managing risk to the County and ensuring that the department can move forward with essential services.
The recommended contract supports the goals and objectives of the Homeless Strategic Action Plan by serving those most at risk of homelessness, adding shelter capacity, and increasing the impact on homelessness through combined efforts of the County and the CoC. Approximately $78,915 will be utilized towards Rapid Rehousing, approximately $39,600 will go towards providing interim shelter, $47,520 will be utilized to support households with rental assistance for permanent supportive housing, and $31,200 is allocated toward street outreach. The remaining funds of $162,458 will be utilized toward operating subsidies, services coordination, case management and housing navigation that will provide individuals and households with the necessary support to achieve housing stability. It is planned that 10% of all funding will focus on serving homeless youth in the Desert Region.
OHS will review contractor performance, referrals to other agencies, and services provided. Contractor performance will be monitored by the review of monthly reports and an annual visit to ensure compliance with the administrative, program, and fiscal terms and conditions of the contract. OHS will review invoices and attachments remitted by the contractor to ensure funds are expended on eligible activities.
An additional regional service contract(s) for remaining HHAP-4 funds in the amount of $752,453.32 will be presented to the Board for approval at a later date, upon completion of contract negotiations.
PROCUREMENT
On January 18, 2024, OHS, acting as the Administrative Entity for the CoC, released Request for Applications No. OHS 24-01 (RFA) to provide HHAP-4 services with the funding allocated to support regional service projects. Notice of the RFA was sent to an email distribution list of over 1,100 entities that included members of the local ICH, the Homeless Provider Network, city managers within San Bernardino County, and subscribed providers. The RFA was also posted on the San Bernardino County Homeless Partnership website.
A total of 43 agencies submitted applications in response to the RFA with six agencies applying in multiple regions. Applications for 41 agencies met the minimum qualifications set forth in RFA and the application for each agency was evaluated and scored by evaluation panels comprised of non-conflicted members representing each of the ICH regions.
Based on evaluations, ICH recommends the Contractor from the High Desert Region to receive HHAP-4 funding.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Suzanne Bryant, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on August 26, 2025; Purchasing (Jessica Barajas, Supervising Buyer, 387-2065) on September 16, 2025; Risk Management (Greg Ustaszewski, Staff Analyst II, 386-9008) on September 2, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Allegra Pajot, Administrative Analyst, 388-0218) on September 16, 2025.
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