REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 18, 2025
FROM
MARCUS DILLARD, Chief of Homeless Services, Office of Homeless Services
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Contract with Inland Counties Legal Services, Inc. for Continued Housing and Disability Advocacy Program Legal Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 23-1143 with Inland Counties Legal Services, Inc., to increase the contract amount by $310,000 from $558,566 to $868,566, and extend the term for one additional year, for a total 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 the Countywide Vision.
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 impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The recommended contract increase of $310,000 will be funded by 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
The State of California Assembly Bill 1603 (2016) established HDAP. Since that time, San Bernardino County (County) has administered HDAP to assist qualified disabled individuals experiencing homelessness in applying for disability benefit programs such as Social Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), and/or Veteran’s Benefits, while concurrently working to transition the participants from homelessness to permanent housing solutions. The County also leverages existing outreach and engagement teams within the County to prioritize and refer the chronically homeless or homeless individuals who rely most heavily on state or county-funded programs.
HDAP has been instrumental in assisting the disabled homeless population to live as independently as possible in the community, as they transition from homelessness to a disability-based income and a permanent housing solution. HDAP has played an integral role in working towards the County’s Homeless Strategic Action Plan goals by taking a coordinated and collective approach among County departments and local service providers to expanding new projects and programs, investing in affordable housing options, and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable individuals.
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 Program for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (SSA), SSDI, and Veteran’s Disability Compensation, as well as preparing client appeals and other legal advocacy efforts.
On October 24, 2023 (Item No. 26), as a result of a formal procurement for the provision of legal advocacy services to disabled homeless individuals, the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Contract No. 23-1143 with ICLS, to provide legal advocacy services to disabled homeless individuals throughout the County in an amount not to exceed $620,000, for the contract 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 to decrease the contract amount by $61,434, for a revised total of $558,566.
The recommended Amendment No. 2 (Amendment) will allow ICLS to continue providing legal advocacy services to existing HDAP clients throughout the County, increase the contract amount by $310,000, and extend the contract term through June 30, 2026. The revised total contract amount will be $868,566.
Performance milestone requirements for the contract were initially monitored by the Community Development and Housing Department and will now be monitored by the Office of Homeless Services (OHS). OHS will review bi-monthly reports and conduct an annual site visit to ensure compliance with the administrative, program, and fiscal terms and conditions of the contract. ICLS will continue to report service delivery and outcome data, including case status, housing status, and benefit determinations, to ensure contract goals are met and to demonstrate the program’s impact.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Suzanne Bryant, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 27, 2025; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on May 29, 2025; County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on June 3, 2025.