REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 14, 2022
FROM
SUPRIYA BARROWS, Deputy Executive Officer, Community Revitalization
SUBJECT
Title
Contracts for Project Roomkey Eligible Activities and Homeless Supportive Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve contracts with the following agencies for operation of Project Roomkey, the County’s emergency sheltering program, to add isolation and quarantine capacity to California’s shelter and housing inventory, in a combined amount not to exceed $5,000,000, for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023:
1. Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County, in the amount of $500,000.
2. Inland Temporary Homes dba Inland Housing Solutions, in the amount of $1,500,000.
3. Knowledge Education for Your Success, Inc. dba KEYS, in the amount of $1,000,000.
4. Mountain Homeless Coalition, in the amount of $330,000.
5. Step On Second Street, Inc., in the amount of $573,482.
6. Victor Valley Family Resource Center, in the amount of $1,096,518.
(Presenter: Supriya Barrows, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-4717)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not require additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The total cost of the contracts will not exceed $5,000,000 for Project Roomkey (PRK). Services will be funded by a one-time grant for Project Roomkey from the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). The grant does not require a local match. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Office of Homeless Services (OHS) 2021-22 budget and will be included in the 2022-23 recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On March 4, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newson proclaimed a State of Emergency as a result of the threat of COVID-19. On March 21, 2020, the Governor issued Executive Order N-32-20, which addresses the need for a more focused approach to bring unsheltered Californians indoors and add new isolation and quarantine capacity to California’s shelter and housing inventory to slow the spread of the pandemic. In response to the Executive Order, the County implemented PRK for emergency, non-congregate sheltering. The projected number of individuals that will be sheltered in emergency and non-congregate settings by the San Bernardino County with the PRK grant is 1,196 individuals. All funds will be reimbursed as resources are used and invoiced by providers.
The purpose of PRK is to provide non-congregate shelter and options, including emergency food services, for people experiencing homelessness, protect human life, and minimize the strain on the health care system capacity. PRK gives people who are experiencing homelessness and are recovering from COVID-19, or have been exposed to COVID-19, a place to recuperate and properly quarantine outside of a hospital. It also provides a safe place for isolation for people who are experiencing homelessness and are at high risk for medical complications if they were to become infected.
To address the required subcontracted services which include all categories listed in Tier 1 an Tier II below the County, through the Office of Homeless Services (OHS), sought applications from interested and qualified applicable partners, including cities, housing, public health agencies, homeless Continuums of Care (CoC), behavioral health and emergency response agencies to systematically address homelessness and access to services sought by individuals for PRK. The goal will be to provide PRK and Rehousing funding to expand, enhance, and augment the local homeless response system with the ultimate goal of maximizing and expediting the number of individuals assisted out of homelessness.
To categorize the scope of work of the proposed agencies, the services are grouped into two Tiers (as described below). Each tier includes but is not limited to people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness that may be or have been at a high risk of exposure to COVID-19 that are in need of emergency sheltering and isolation quarantine.
Tier I agencies will provide Housing First strategy/approach, such as low barrier tactics to permanent housing where everyone is considered “housing ready” for permanent supportive housing. Tier I agencies will provide supportive services in the following areas: 1) Individualized case management support to families and individuals who reside in the County (motel vouchers and bridge housing); 2) Rental assistance (short-term and medium-term) including security deposits, utility payments, flexible housing support activities, and educational opportunities. Agencies in this Tier will also provide housing-related services, including Street Outreach, Rapid Housing/Rehousing, and Case Management services. Agencies recommended for award to provide Tier I services in the amounts indicated in the Recommendation include: Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County, Inland Temporary Homes dba Inland Housing Solutions, and Victor Valley Family Resource Center. Agencies will provide services to the region indicated in the Procurement section.
Tier II agencies will be primarily focused on program entry, housing placements using “housing surge” strategies to accelerate rehousing efforts, and expanding housing portfolios through rapid rehousing services and incentives to link those in housing search to housing placements. Tier II agencies will also provide supportive services including case management. Agencies recommended for award to provide Tier II services in the amounts indicated in the Recommendation include: Knowledge Education for Your Success, Inc. dba KEYS, Mountain Homeless Coalition, and Step On Second Street, Inc. Agencies will provide services to the region indicated in the Procurement section.
PROCUREMENT
The County Administrative Office approved and authorized the release of a Request for Proposal (RFP) on March 25, 2022 to solicit proposals from interested and qualified agencies to provide Homeless Supportive Services, including but not limited to, housing barrier removal, landlord engagement services, housing stabilization, rental assistance, housing-related case management, housing navigation, and housing surge activities. Housing surge activities are concentrated, time-limited community efforts to connect a targeted group of individuals or families to a pre-identified pool of housing subsidies or units, which include additional resources and services, to house a large number of people within a short time period.
Eight proposals were received by the established deadline in response to the RFP. Proposals from the eight agencies listed below met the minimum requirements and continued through the evaluation process. Below is a table outlining agency proposals received for Tier I, proposed service area, and amount proposed.
|
Agency |
Proposed Region to be Served |
Proposed Amount |
|
Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County |
San Bernardino County |
$500,000 |
|
Inland Temporary Homes dba Inland Housing Solutions |
San Bernardino County |
$1,500,000 |
|
Reaching New Heights Foundation, Inc. |
San Bernardino County |
$631,900 |
|
Victor Valley Family Resource Center |
Victorville |
$1,629,500 |
Below is a table outlining agency proposals received for Tier II, proposed service area, and amount proposed.
|
Agency |
Proposed Region to be Served |
Proposed Amount |
|
Knowledge Education for Your Success, Inc. dba KEYS |
San Bernardino County |
$5,000,000 |
|
Mountain Homeless Coalition |
San Bernardino County Mountains |
$330,000 |
|
Step On Second Street, Inc. |
San Bernardino County |
$573,482 |
|
Water of Life Community Church |
San Bernardino County |
$270,032 |
The evaluation committee, comprised of five individuals with representatives from OHS, Human Services Program Development Division, and Human Services Auditing Division, reviewed and evaluated the proposals based on the criteria referenced in the RFP. The criteria included: Housing First emphasis to California’s Housing First policy, qualifications and experience, technical capability, budget, and references.
Based on the evaluation criteria, the evaluation committee determined that the six (6) agencies identified in the Recommendation best meet the needs of the County to partner and collaborate on PRK eligible activities and homeless supportive services, and recommended them for contract award. Agencies not recommended for contract award were notified by email. No written protests were received.
Contractor performance will be monitored by review of monthly reports and an annual site visit to ensure compliance with the administrative, program, and fiscal terms and conditions of the contract. Contractors will cooperate with the County in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of their contract and comply with any and all reporting requirements established by the contract. Contractor charges must be for services provided to eligible beneficiaries under this funded program. The County reserves the right to request additional program and/or fiscal reports to facilitate this monthly review. The contracts may be terminated without cause by the County with 30 days written notice.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on May 25, 2022; County Counsel (Suzanne Bryant, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 26, 2022; Purchasing (Bruce Cole, Supervising Buyer, 387-2148) on May 26, 2022; Finance (Christopher Lange, Administrative Analyst, 386-8393) on May 25, 2022; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on May 31, 2022.