REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
April 21, 2026
FROM
MARCUS DILLARD, Chief of Homeless Services, Office of Homeless Services
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Contract with Inland Counties Legal Services, Inc., for Housing and Disability Advocacy Program Legal Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 3 to Contract No. 23-1143 with Inland Counties Legal Services, Inc., to increase the contract amount by $75,000, from $868,566 to $943,566, to address increased demand for Housing and Disability Advocacy Program legal services, with no changes to the contract period of November 1, 2023 through June 30, 2026.
(Presenter: Marcus Dillard, Chief of Homeless Services, 501-0644)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote and Fulfill the Countywide Vision.
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The recommended contract increase of $75,000 will be funded by state Housing and Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP) revenue. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Office of Homeless Services (OHS) 2025-26 budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
California Assembly Bill 1603 (2016) established HDAP to help California residents who are or are at risk of being homeless and likely are eligible for disability benefits. Since that time, San Bernardino County (County) has administered HDAP to assist qualified individuals in applying for disability benefit programs such as Social Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and/or Veteran’s Benefits, while concurrently working to transition participants from homelessness to permanent housing solutions. The County leverages existing outreach and engagement teams to prioritize and refer chronically homeless individuals and those who rely most heavily on state or county-funded programs.
HDAP continues to be instrumental in assisting the disabled homeless population to live as independently as possible in the community as they transition from homelessness to disability-based income and permanent housing. The program supports the County’s Homeless Strategic Action Plan goals by taking a coordinated and collective approach among County departments
and local service providers to expand services, invest in housing solutions, and address the needs of the most vulnerable residents.
Under the terms of the contract with Inland Counties Legal Services, Inc. (ICLS), services include preparing and submitting client applications for disability benefit programs such as SSI, State Supplementary Payment (SSP), SSDI, and Veteran’s Disability Compensation, as well as preparing client appeals and providing legal advocacy services.
On October 24, 2023 (Item No. 26), following a formal procurement process (Request for Proposal No. HSSA23-HSSA-4953), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Contract No. 23-1143 with ICLS in an amount not to exceed $620,000 for the period of November 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025, with the ability to extend for three additional one-year periods.
On December 17, 2024 (Item No. 38), the Board approved Amendment No. 1, decreasing the contract amount by $61,434, for a revised total of $558,566.
On June 18, 2025 (Item No. 48), the Board approved Amendment No. 2, increasing the contract amount by $310,000 for a revised total of $868,566 and extended the term for one additional year, for a total contract period of November 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026.
The Recommendations will allow ICLS to continue providing legal advocacy services to eligible HDAP participants throughout the County. The additional funding will support ongoing and new client enrollments, appeals, and legal representation necessary to secure disability benefits and facilitate transitions to stable housing. This amendment does not extend the contract term, as the current contract period and the Program’s expenditure deadline of June 30, 2026, remains unchanged; however, the additional funding is necessary to meet projected service demand and prevent disruption of services.
Performance milestone requirements for the contract are monitored by OHS. OHS reviews bi-monthly reports and conducts annual site visits to ensure compliance with administrative, programmatic, and fiscal requirements. ICLS reports service delivery and outcome data, including case status, housing status, and benefit determinations, to ensure contract goals are met and to demonstrate program impact.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Suzanne Bryant, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on March 2, 2026; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070) on March 13, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on March 23, 2026.