REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 20, 2024
FROM
DIANE RUNDLES, Assistant Executive Officer, Community Revitalization
SUBJECT
Title
Grant Application for the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Authorize the submission of a grant application to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, in an amount not to exceed $2,500,000, for the Fiscal Year 2023 Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program, for the period of November 1, 2024, through October 31, 2026.
2. Authorize the Chief Executive Officer, Assistant Executive Officer, or Chief of Homeless Services to execute the grant application and any required subsequent non-substantive amendments, supporting materials, as well as all other ancillary documents, on behalf of the San Bernardino City and County Continuum of Care, subject to County Counsel review.
3. Authorize the Chief of Homeless Services to electronically submit the grant application, supporting materials, non-substantive amendments, and ancillary documents on behalf of the San Bernardino City and County Continuum of Care.
4. Direct the Chief of Homeless Services to transmit the grant application and non-substantive amendments in relation to the Fiscal Year 2023 Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Marcus Dillard, Chief of Homeless Services, 501-0644)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
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 does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The grant application, in the amount of $2,500,000, to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) requires a 25 percent local match in the amount of $625,000. The Office of Homeless Services (OHS) will provide the match through allowed eligible activities and in-kind services provided by staff whose positions are funded by the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) program. The total program expenses will be $3,125,000 (YHDP funding plus match). Should funds be awarded, OHS will return to the Board of Supervisors (Board) for award acceptance and any necessary budget adjustments.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
OHS is seeking approval and authorization to submit an application for HUD’s YHDP Round 8 grant, in the amount of $2,500,000, to support the development and implementation of a coordinated community approach to preventing and ending youth homelessness in the county. A 25 percent match is required.
On June 6, 2024, HUD released the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Round 8 of the YHDP. The YHDP is a competitive grant program that is designed to support selected communities in the development and implementation of a coordinated community approach to prevent and end youth homelessness. HUD has administered eight rounds of YHDP since 2016 and has awarded approximately $440,000,000 to communities across the country during that time.
For FY 2023, HUD has made approximately $72,000,000 available and expects to make a maximum of 25 awards, with up to eight of the awards being targeted at communities with substantial rural populations. Only Continuum of Care (CoC) designated Collaborative Applicants are eligible to apply. YHDP awards have an initial two-year term and, if the program is successfully implemented, can be renewed on a reoccurring basis through the CoC Program Competition process. The YHDP grant competition is very competitive as there are 387 CoCs nationwide and only a limited amount of funds available. Per the FY 2023 YHDP NOFO, YHDP funds may be used to serve youth who are homeless, as defined under 24 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 578.3, or under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (McKinney-Vento).
The target population served by YHDP is youth experiencing homelessness, ages 24 and under, including unaccompanied and pregnant or parenting youth. According to the County’s 2024 Point-in-Time Count (PITC), there were a total of 136 homeless individuals countywide who were age 24 or younger, or 4.5 percent of the total homeless population. However, per HUD requirements, the PITC only counts individuals who are literally homeless and residing on the streets during the specific night of the count. Individuals who lack a regular, fixed, and adequate nighttime residence, such as those who are temporarily living in hotels or motels, or with friends or family, (commonly referred to as “doubling up” or “couch surfing”) are not captured in the PITC.
The California Department of Education (CDE) uses the definition of homeless provided in McKinney-Vento that includes individuals who are residing in temporary living arrangements. Using this definition of homelessness, CDE conducts annual enrollment reports utilizing the number of students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade on Census Day (the first Wednesday in October). CDE’s 2023-24 enrollment report for the County indicates there were over 21,000 youth, consisting of the students enrolled in public schools on the day of the census, who were homeless or lacked secure housing. Based on this data, OHS has determined there is crucial need to focus attention and resources towards homeless youth in the county.
Should the grant application be successful, and the County is awarded YHDP funds, OHS will collaborate with the CoC’s Youth Advisory Board (YAB) and other relevant stakeholders to create a Coordinated Community Plan (CCP). The CCP will lay the groundwork for implementation of YHDP and provide a framework for the various projects that will be supported by YHDP funds. HUD requires a CCP to be completed and submitted prior to the YHDP funds being released. The YAB is a formal committee of the CoC created to ensure that youth have a pronounced and consistent voice in discussions and decisions regarding homelessness. The committee consists of youths 24 years of age and younger, some of whom have lived experience of homelessness. Their participation in the creation of the CCP will provide a unique perspective into homeless youth and valuable information that can be incorporated into the plan.
In June 2023, following approval by the Chief Executive Officer, OHS submitted a grant application for the FY 2022 YHDP. The match for the grant was provided by Family Assistance Program, a local agency that provides a wide variety of services to homeless youth that include operating two runaway/homeless youth shelters, a homeless youth street outreach team and several youth drop-in centers. In September 2023, OHS was notified that it was not awarded YHDP funds. OHS has carefully evaluated the FY 2022 YHDP grant application and scoring provided by HUD to enhance and strengthen the FY 2023 YHDP grant application.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Suzanne Bryant, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on August 13, 2024; Finance (Christopher Lange, Deputy Director, 386-8393) on August 13, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on August 13, 2024.