REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
October 5, 2021
FROM
CASONYA THOMAS, Assistant Executive Officer, Community Revitalization
GARY HALLEN, Director, Community Development and Housing
SUBJECT
Title
Contract with Knowledge, Education for Your Success, Inc. for the Moving Forward Project
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve contract with Knowledge, Education for Your Success, Inc., in the amount of $950,000, to provide Project Roomkey residents’ homeless services and housing solutions through the Moving Forward Project for the period of September 29, 2021 to September 30, 2022, as part of San Bernardino County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Presenter: Gary Hallen, Director, 387-4411)
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 result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The amount of $950,000 for the contract with Knowledge, Education for Your Success, Inc. (KEYS) will be funded using Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding, known as ESG-CV1 and ESG-CV2 (collectively ESG-CV). Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Community Development and Housing Department (CDH) 2021-22 budget for the ESG-CV funds, and will be included in the 2022-23 recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The purpose of the ESG program is to assist individuals and families to quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis or homelessness. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Congress authorized additional ESG funds enacted through the CARES Act to provide five program components: street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing assistance, and to fund the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). As a result, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the County with $2,192,210 in round one of ESG funding (ESG-CV1) and $6,401,870 in a second round of ESG funding (ESG-CV2) for a total of $8,594,080 in ESG-CV funds.
The Moving Forward project consists of engaging County homeless residents in outreach services, housing access and navigation services while providing comprehensive case management. Moving Forward targets clients who have been served under Project Roomkey, a statewide initiative to provide safe isolation for the homeless population to protect them from the spread of COVID-19 by providing non-congregate shelter via motels/hotels. Moving Forward is the next phase of services for those clients, helping to transition them into permanent housing.
Given the urgency to effectively and expeditiously transition the Project Roomkey clients out of the motel/hotels, under the authority granted by the Board on August 25, 2020 (Item No. 71), on September 2, 2020, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) approved and executed Amendment No. 2 to Contract 19-270 with The Chance Project as an extension of services and additional funding to the provider’s past Homeless Emergency Assistance Program contract that ended June 30, 2021. On October 27, 2020 (Item No. 38), the Board ratified this Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 19-270.
On October 27, 2020 (Item No. 27), the Board approved Contract No. 20-1072 with The Chance Project, in the amount of $1,230,000 to implement Moving Forward. During the course of implementing the Moving Forward activities, it was found that the Chance Project was not able to meet all of the program and funding requirements that supported the project. The services and funding provided under Contract No. 20-1072 were terminated effective September 28, 2021.
Upon approval of this item, KEYS, a local provider, will replace The Chance Project as the lead service provider for Moving Forward. KEYS will utilize the remaining balance of $950,000 to provide services to Project Roomkey participants, temporarily housed in up to 45 motel rooms housing solutions.
Moving Forward will fund the following activities to prevent, prepare for, and transition clients from homeless services to permanent housing solutions:
|
Activity |
Amount |
|
Homelessness Prevention |
$25,000 |
|
Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) |
$57,000 |
|
Emergency Shelter |
$50,000 |
|
Rapid Rehousing |
$650,000 |
|
Street Outreach |
$73,000 |
|
Administration |
$95,000 |
|
Total |
$950,000 |
PROCUREMENT
On August 17, 2021, OHS issued a Letter of Intent (LOI) to the following agencies identified as current high performing homeless services providers: Inland Housing Solutions (IHS), KEYS, and Lighthouse Social Services (LSS). On August 23, 2021, an email was received from IHS declining to move forward in the process. On August 24, 2021, an email was received from KEYS expressing interest in contracting for the Moving Forward project. No response was received from LSS. KEYS was the only agency to respond and express interest to the LOI and was selected as the most qualified provider based on its response, experience partnering with government and nonprofit organizations to assist individuals and prevent homelessness, and ability to provide services.
This item is being presented at this time, as this is the first date available for presentation following the completion of the LOI evaluation process and contract negotiations, and the required operational, fiscal, and legal reviews. Approval by the Board at this time will not impact Moving Forward’s services or activities.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Suzanne Bryant, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on September 21, 2021; Office of Homeless Services (Tom Hernandez, Chief of Homeless Services, 501-0611) on September 16, 2021; Community Development and Housing (Dena Fuentes, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-4411) on September 21, 2021; Purchasing (Bruce Cole, Supervising Buyer, 387-2148) on September 21, 2021; Finance (Kathleen Gonzalez, Administrative Analyst, 387-5412 and Christopher Lange, Administrative Analyst, 386-8393) on September 21, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer 387-5423 and Tanya Bratton, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0332) on September 21, 2021.