REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
November 15, 2022
FROM
MARTHA ZEPEDA, Deputy Executive Officer, Community Revitalization
SUBJECT
Title
Grant Application to the State of California Interagency Council on Homelessness for the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Round 4 Program Funding
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve and authorize the submission of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Round 4 grant application to the State of California Interagency Council on Homelessness by:
a. San Bernardino County Continuum of Care for funding, in the estimated amount of up to $3,901,874, to support regional coordination and provide immediate assistance to people experiencing homelessness in the region.
b. San Bernardino County, in the estimated amount of up to $3,641,749, for funding to support regional coordination and provide immediate assistance to people experiencing homelessness in the region.
2. Authorize the Chief Executive Officer or Deputy Executive Officer of Community Revitalization as the signatory for the grant applications and any subsequent required supporting materials, as well as all other ancillary documents on behalf of San Bernardino County and the San Bernardino County Continuum of Care, subject to County Counsel review.
3. Authorize and designate the San Bernardino County Office of Homeless Services to act as the Administrative Entity for San Bernardino County and the San Bernardino County Continuum of Care for the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Round 4 grants.
4. Authorize the Chief Executive Officer or the Deputy Executive Officer of Community Revitalization, to electronically submit the grant applications, supporting materials, non-substantial amendments, and ancillary documents on behalf of San Bernardino County and the San Bernardino County Continuum of Care.
5. Direct the Chief Executive Officer or the Deputy Executive Officer of Community Revitalization, to transmit all grant application documents and amendments in relation to the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Round 4 Program to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Martha Zepeda, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-4438)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
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 proposed total grant application amount of up to $7,543,624 includes $3,901,874 for the San Bernardino County Continuum of Care (CoC) and $3,641,749 for San Bernardino County (County), and is administered by the State of California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency (BCSH), through the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH). Should funds be awarded, the Office of Homeless Services (OHS) will return to the Board of Supervisors (Board) for award acceptance and any necessary budget adjustments.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On September 30, 2022, Cal ICH released the Local Homelessness Action Plan and application template for Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Round 4. The HHAP program is a $1 billion block grant program designed to provide jurisdictions with one-time grant funds to support regional coordination and expand or develop local capacity to address immediate homelessness challenges. HHAP will support expansion of current efforts that the County and CoC are undertaking to solve the regional homelessness problem.
HHAP is intended to provide funding to CoCs, counties, and large cities (population of 300,000 or more) to help continue moving homeless individuals and families or individuals and families at-risk of homelessness into permanent housing, supporting the efforts of those individuals and families to maintain permanent housing. Eligible uses of HHAP include, but are not limited to, the following: rental assistance and rapid rehousing, operating subsidies including reserves, landlord incentives, homeless outreach and coordination, job programs, promoting housing stability, systems support for regional partnerships and maintaining a homeless services and housing delivery system, delivery of innovative housing solutions such as hotel and motel conversions, prevention and shelter diversion, and navigation centers and emergency shelters where the region can justify demonstrated need.
A minimum of 10% of HHAP funds must be used to provide services specific to the needs of homeless youth. Administrative costs are capped at 7% of program funds, estimated up to $273,131 for the CoC and $254,922 for San Bernardino County. The terms included in the application are legally binding; therefore, per County Policy 05-13, Board approval is required. The HHAP application is due to the State on or before November 29, 2022, and will be submitted electronically upon Board approval of this item.
The Interagency Council on Homelessness, CoC governing board, recommends that OHS serve as the Administrative Entity (AE) to submit the grant application for the CoC allocation amount. If the Board approves Recommendation No. 3, then the County has the fiduciary responsibility and liability to ensure the funds are spent in accordance with the grant agreement.
As the AE of HHAP program funds, the County, through OHS, will be able to enter into subrecipient contracts with service providers to provide homeless services as described under the HHAP program, upon award. It is proposed that the HHAP funds totaling an estimated $7,543,624 be administered accordingly by the respective awardees:
• CoC allocation - up to $3,901,874 of the award will be allocated to programs and projects, including youth services, and the remaining balance, or up to $273,131 will be retained by the OHS to perform the administration of the State grant; and,
• County allocation - up to $3,641,749 will be allocated to programs and projects, with input from the Board, and includes a minimum of 10% allocation for youth services, with the remaining balance, or up to $254,922 retained by the OHS to perform the administration of the State grant.
The AE will also be responsible for ensuring the measurable goals, objectives, and activities are in alignment with the San Bernardino County Homeless Strategic Action Plan and required HHAP Local Homeless Action Plans on file with the State for both the County and CoC. Unlike many State grants, the HHAP funds do not require a match; however, San Bernardino County will have the fiduciary responsibility and liability for grant compliance to the State of California.
At this time, Cal ICH has not released the allocation amounts to coincide with a spending plan. Once the allocation amounts are received, OHS will develop a spending plan based on HHAP-3 priorities. After coordinating with County Leadership on the spending plan, OHS will return to the Board as needed.
Since February 11, 2020 (Item No. 26), the Board has been accepting and approving the receipt of HHAP grants. The most recent Board items include the approval and acceptance of HHAP Round 2 on June 8, 2021 (Item No. 44), in the amount of $1,453,114, on behalf of the CoC and $1,300,625 on behalf of the County. On March 1, 2022 (Item No. 22), the Board approved, and authorized the submission of the HHAP-3 20% Initial Disbursement Contract for Funds for the initial disbursement amount of $780,374 for the CoC. The Board also ratified the Chief Executive Officer’s exercise of authority for the submission of HHAP-3 Initial Disbursement Agreement for the initial disbursement amount of $728,349 on behalf of the County. On June 28, 2022 (Item No. 43), the Board approved and authorized the submission of HHAP Round 3 grant applications for the CoC in the estimated amount of up to $3,901,875 and for San Bernardino County in the estimated amount of up to $3,641,750.
PROCUREMENT
No procurement is required for the recommended grant applications. When funding is awarded, a future item will be presented to the Board to accept the grant awards, execute the grant agreements, and make necessary budget adjustments.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Office of Homeless Services (Tom Hernandez, Chief Grant Officer, 501-0611) on October 21, 2022; County Counsel (Suzanne Bryant, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 26, 2022; Finance (Christopher Lange, Administrative Analyst, 386-8393) on October 25, 2022; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on October 27, 2022.