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
Amendment to Agreement with Inland Southern California 211+ for Housing and Disability Advocacy Program Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 21-839 with Inland Southern California 211+ to increase the contract amount by $480,000, from $1,122,456 to $1,602,456, for additional funding for bridge housing, with no change to the contract period of July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023.
2. Designate the Chief Executive Officer or the Deputy Executive Officer of Community Revitalization as the authorized official to approve and sign subsequent contract documents and non-substantive amendments that do not increase the total amount or change the duration of the agreement, on behalf of the County, subject to review by County Counsel.
3. Direct the Chief Executive Officer or the Deputy Executive Officer of the Community Revitalization to transmit copies of all documents in relation to this contract to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Martha Zepeda, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-4351)
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 result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Transitional Assistance Department (TAD) received an allocation of funding from the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) for the Housing and Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP). TAD entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Community Development and Housing Department (CDH) to administer the HDAP as the Administrative Entity, which is funded with the TAD HDAP allocation. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in CDH’s 2022-23 budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Since 2018, San Bernardino County (County) has administered HDAP to provide housing and disability advocacy and assistance to homeless individuals applying for disability benefits such as Social Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), and/or Veteran’s Disability Compensation. Since the inception of the program, the cost of providing bridge housing, also known as temporary housing, has always outpaced that of the other services, such as financial assistance, case management, food and clothing. However, the impact of inflation on rents in the County has created a barrier for HDAP clients to obtain permanent housing in a timely manner. The inflation-induced impact has resulted in extended stays in the motels - well beyond the programmatic 90 days - which has accelerated the depletion of the allocation for bridge housing much sooner than projected. To ensure no cessation in services or displacement of clients housed in motels through the HDAP program, CDH is requesting an increase of $480,000 to the contract budget to continue providing bridge housing services to current clients and an estimated 20 new clients. The budget increase will be funded with HDAP monies awarded by CDSS to TAD on September 13, 2021, in the amount of $3,857,169. The HDAP allocation appropriated from the Budget Act of 2021 expires June 30, 2024.
Due to various barriers (e.g., rising costs of providing housing and essential necessities, limited housing inventory, increasing rents, decreasing affordability, and longer placement periods for permanent housing), funding previously awarded to Inland Southern California 211+’s (ISC211+) was fully expended by October 2022, prompting ISC211+ to request additional funding. If funds are not replenished, it will result in a return of clients to unsheltered homelessness. TAD and CDH staff reviewed ISC 211+’s request, the proposed budget, current program performance and trends, and are able to support an increase in funding to avoid an interruption of services and client displacements.
On November 16, 2021 (Item No. 26), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Contract No. 21-839 with ISC211+ to provide bridge housing, case management, outreach, financial assistance, and Coordinated Entry System (CES) support services in the amount of $561,228, retroactively effective July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022.
On June 28, 2022 (Item No. 42), the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 21-839 with ISC211+, increasing the contract amount by $561,228, from $561,228 to $1,122,456, and extending the contract for an additional year, for a total contract period of July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023.
Given the nature of the services, the extreme vulnerability of the clients, and the inherent challenges with serving the HDAP target population, even a temporary interruption of the program would have significant impacts to the physical and mental health and well-being of clients. It is anticipated that this proposed amendment will mitigate those impacts. Additionally, ISC211+ will leverage other resources with its HDAP funding to provide case management, outreach, financial assistance, and CES support services to ensure clients are properly served. CDH will continue to monitor ISC211+ performance on a regular basis by reviewing monthly reports and conducting an annual site visit to ensure compliance with the administrative, program, legal, and fiscal terms and conditions of the contract.
The HDAP program aligns with the County’s Homeless Strategic Action Plan, specifically in the areas of 1) Housing the Most At-Risk, 2) Increasing Shelter Capacity, and 3) System Improvements. Because it has been instrumental in providing housing and disability advocacy services, the HDAP enhances support and expansion of the County’s housing and homeless delivery system, strengthens efforts to make a collective impact, and increases capacity of clients served in partnership with stakeholders.
CDH is requesting the Board to authorize the Chief Executive Officer or the Deputy Executive Officer of the Community Revitalization to execute any subsequent non-substantive amendments in relation to the contract, subject to review by County Counsel, should it be necessary to reallocate funds within the line items of the Board approved budget to effectively administer the program based upon identified needs. To allocate additional funding received and pursuant to County Policy 11-04, CDH is preparing a formal procurement for HDAP that will be released winter 2022. The procurement is expected to expand services, with contracts to be approved for a July 1, 2023 start date, that will award the additional HDAP allocation to qualified HDAP providers.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Suzanne Bryant, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 19, 2022; Finance (Chris 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.