REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
December 19, 2023
FROM
CARRIE HARMON, Director, Community Development and Housing Department
SUBJECT
Title
Agreement with SB Express One, LLC dba Super 8 Motel San Bernardino for the Provision of Non-Congregate Shelter
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Agreement with SB Express One, LLC dba Super 8 Motel San Bernardino for the provision of non-congregate shelter for homeless individuals residing in encampments in the Santa Ana Riverbed, in an amount not to exceed $807,507 for the term of December 19, 2023, through June 30, 2024.
(Presenter: Carrie Harmon, Director, 382-3983)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision
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 total cost for the agreement will not exceed $807,507 and will be funded through the Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) grant administered through the State of California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. Funds will be used to provide up to 50 rooms per night, at $119.23 per room, through the agreement period. The total of $807,507 was calculated based on an average of 34 rooms per night, at $119.23 per room, for the six month and 13-day agreement term (195 days). Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in Community Development and Housing's (CDH) 2023-24 budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Approval of the recommended agreement will provide up to 50 pet-free motel rooms, which provide immediate interim housing for an estimated 150 homeless individuals residing in the Santa Ana Riverbed encampment area. OHS will work with County partners and community providers to link individuals to case management and transition them to a permanent housing solution. This agreement will be used in concert with other currently funded activities through a collaborative partnership between CDH, OHS, the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator (Sheriff’s Department), Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), and Department of Public Works (DPW) playing an integral role in meeting the County’s Homeless Strategic Action Plan by exiting high utilizers of public safety and safety net services into shelters and increasing the number of those engaged in treatment services.
The ERF grant program was launched by Governor Newsom in October 2021 to assist local jurisdictions in ensuring the wellness and safety of individuals experiencing homelessness in encampments by providing services and supports that address immediate physical and mental wellness and result in meaningful paths to safe and stable housing. The program also assists with the restoration of vacated encampment sites to the original state and intended purposes.
On December 29, 2021, upon approval of the Deputy Executive Officer of Community Revitalization, OHS submitted a non-binding application for the ERF Program Grant. The application identified two prioritized encampment sites, the Santa Ana Riverbed, within the cities of Redlands and San Bernardino, and the Mojave Riverbed in Hesperia and Victorville. These encampment areas have been identified as having posed a safety, health, and environmental concern and are subject to flash flooding, extreme weather, fires, agricultural runoff, and human waste.
On February 24, 2022, Governor Newsom announced the award of ERF funds to 19 communities, including San Bernardino County. On April 26, 2022 (Item No. 25), the Board of Supervisors (Board) accepted the ERF Program Grant in the amount of $1,787,998 to supplement currently funded activities that address the needs of homeless individuals, such as outreach and engagement, mainstream supportive services, and case management, with a focus on permanent housing. OHS is currently working with the City of Victorville in a collaborative effort to address homeless encampments in the Mojave Riverbed utilizing the remaining $980,491 in ERF program funding by utilizing the City of Victorville’s Navigation Center and will return to the Board once details have been solidified.
The County implementation of the ERF program began shortly after the Board's acceptance of the ERF grant funding and has required extensive collaboration and coordination with multiple County departments. These efforts include the Sherriff’s Department’s Homeless Outreach and Proactive Enforcement (H.O.P.E.) to assist with the identification of targeted encampment sites, DBH for the provision of mental health services to housed individuals, and the DPW for site clean-up and restoration. The County is also utilizing existing partnerships with external outreach and shelter providers to ensure encampment residents are seamlessly transitioned to interim housing while being provided with the necessary services for stabilization.
PROCUREMENT
County Procurement Policy No. 11-04 requires competitive and non-competitive services that exceed $200,000 during a single annual period be approved by the Board. Due to statutory expenditure deadlines and the specific on-site case management, treatment, and service needs of those entering interim shelter, the Purchasing Department supports a non-competitive justification request with a current contractor providing the specified services. SB Express One, LLC dba Super 8 Motel San Bernardino has a history of working closely with the City of San Bernardino and homeless service providers to provide interim shelter and onsite case management services to homeless individuals in efforts to transition these individuals into permanent housing.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Suzanne Bryant, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on November 27, 2023; Purchasing (Leo Gomez, Purchasing Manager, 387-2063) on November 16, 2023; Finance (Christopher Lange, Administrative Analyst, 386-8393) on November 28, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0332) on December 5, 2023.