REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 23, 2025
FROM
MARCUS DILLARD, Chief of Homeless Services, Office of Homeless Services
SUBJECT
Title
Acceptance of 2024 Emergency Solutions Grant Award from the California Department of Housing and Community Development
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve Grant Award Standard Agreement (State Agreement No. 24-ESG-00040) with the California Department of Housing and Community Development, including non-standard terms, in the amount of $434,384, representing Cycle 1 of the 2024 Emergency Solutions Grant Program Continuum of Care Allocation awarded to the San Bernardino City and County Continuum of Care, to be administered by San Bernardino County as the designated Administrative Entity, effective upon execution by the California Department of Housing and Community Development and in effect for five years.
2. Authorize the Chief Executive Officer, Assistant Executive Officer, or Chief of Homeless Services to execute and submit the agreement, and any subsequent non-substantive amendments to the agreement, subject to review by County Counsel.
3. Direct the Chief of Homeless Services to transmit the executed agreement, and any subsequent non-substantive amendments to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Marcus Dillard, Chief of Homeless Services, 501-0610)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Create, Maintain and Grow Jobs and Economic Value in the County.
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
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). On June 2, 2025, the State 2024 Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program under the Continuum of Care Administrative Entity Allocation awarded the County $434,384 for Cycle 1 of the 2024-2027 funding period. The grant has a 100% match requirement, which will be met by the service provider awardees through in-kind services and other eligible non-federal funds. The Office of Homeless Services (OHS) will return to the Board of Supervisors (Board) to request the necessary budget adjustments to expend this ESG funding.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On March 25, 2025 (Item No. 33), the Board authorized the submission of a grant application to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for the 2024 ESG Program Continuum of Care Allocation in an amount up to $1,248,208. The Office of Homeless Services (OHS) was designated as the Administrative Entity by the San Bernardino City and County CoC (CoC) to apply for and administer the ESG Program on behalf of the CoC.
HCD issues one ESG Notice of Funding Availability every three years, covering all three years of HUD funding in one application and one Standard Agreement. The funding is divided into three Annual Funding Cycles: Cycle 1 (initial Standard Agreement), Cycle 2 (amendment), and Cycle 3 (amendment). A new budget, updated resolution, award identification, and signed acceptance will be required for each cycle. For the CoC, the total estimated allocation is $1,248,208, distributed across Cycle 1 ($434,384), Cycle 2 ($406,912), and Cycle 3 ($406,912).
On June 2, 2025, HCD issued an award announcement notifying San Bernardino County of its first ESG allocation under Contract No. 24-ESG-00040, in the amount of $434,384. This award corresponds to Cycle 1 and includes an expenditure period of 21 months instead of the standard 24 months. It supports the implementation of ESG-eligible homeless services and housing stabilization activities.
The award will support Emergency Shelter, Rapid Re-Housing, Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), and administration costs. Funds will be used as outlined in the grant application. Emergency Shelter funding will cover services during the Cold Weather Shelter period (November 1 through March 31) and the Warm Weather Shelter period (May 1 through September 30). Rapid Re-Housing will help individuals and families quickly move from homelessness into stable housing through rental assistance and housing support. HMIS funding will support the collection and tracking of client data and program outcomes, and administrative funding will ensure proper oversight and compliance monitoring with program requirements.
The award will be used for the following eligible activities:
|
Activities Funded |
Award Amount |
|
Emergency Shelter |
$212,848.16 |
|
Rapid Re-Housing |
$173,753.60 |
|
Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) |
$43,438.40 |
|
Administration |
$4,343.84 |
|
Total |
$434,384.00 |
Expenditures may not be incurred prior to the execution of the Standard Agreement. Funds may not be disbursed until all general and special conditions have been satisfied and the Standard Agreement has been fully executed.
The Agreement with the State includes terms that differ from the standard County contract terms as follows:
1. The County does not have the ability to terminate the Agreement.
• County Policy 11-05 requires that the County have the right to terminate the contract, for any reason, with a 30-day written notice of termination without any obligation other than to pay amounts for services rendered and expenses reasonably incurred prior to the effective day of termination.
• Potential Impact: The County may not terminate the Agreement for convenience.
2. The County is required to indemnify, hold harmless, and defend the State against any loss, liability, claim, or cost arising in any way from noncompliance with any applicable local, state or federal law or requirement.
• The County standard contract does not include any indemnification or defense by the County of a contractor.
• Potential Impact: By agreeing to indemnify the State, the County could be responsible to defend and reimburse the State for costs, expenses and damages, which could exceed the total Agreement amount.
3. The Standard Agreement imposes insurance obligations on the County.
• The standard County contract does not include any insurance requirements for the County.
• Potential Impact: The County must be mindful of the insurance obligations and ensure that it maintains all the necessary insurance policies or programs of self-insurance required under the Agreement or risk being in breach of the Agreement terms.
Approval of this item is necessary to accept the State grant award, execute the Standard Agreement, and enable the County to access Emergency Solutions Grant funds to support eligible homeless assistance activities under Cycle 1 of the multi-year allocation.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Suzanne Bryant, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 22, 2025; Risk Management (Greg Ustaszewski, Staff Analyst II, 386-9008) on September 10, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Allegra Pajot, Administrative Analyst, 388-0218) on August 21, 2025.