TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to submit a grant application, through the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the 2015 Continuum of Care for Homeless Assistance Program, and execute all necessary documents, subgrants and any amendments changing the amount of the award or extending the grant term upon receipt of HUD funding. The grant award amount will be between $6.5 million and $8.5 million for a period of July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The City has applied for Continuum of Care (CoC) funding since 1995 to address homelessness. The CoC's goal is to assist homeless individuals and families to leave the streets, become stable, and achieve self-sufficiency to the maximum extent possible. The CoC system consists of the following components: 1) Street outreach and engagement, 2) Coordinated entry with supportive services, 3) Rapid rehousing, and 4) permanent housing retention.
The CoC strategy must align with the City's Consolidated Plan and Housing Element components in relation to housing and services for special needs populations. Examples of leveraged community resources include, but are not limited to: Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), HOME, Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8), Public Housing, Mental Health Services Act, Veterans funding and other State, city, county, private, and foundation funds. The local Continuum of Care system, combined with all of its nonprofit partner agencies, leverages almost $20 million in funds from these other sources to promote a seamless, effective service delivery model that has been recognized both regionally and nationally.
On September 9, 2014, the City Council approved the Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) to be the lead recipient agency for the 2014 CoC Homeless Assistance Program. The Health Department was subsequently granted $8,167,924 to fund 24 renewal projects and 3 new projects. Attached is a listing of agencies that are eligible to apply for annual renewal in the 2015 process as part of the City's funding application.
During the 2013 and 2014 competitions, the Long Beach Continuum of Care applied and was designated as a Unified Funding Agency (UFA); Long Beach and Columbus, Ohio are the only two jurisdictions in the nation to have received this designation, promoting greater local decision making to target limited resources to meet the greatest needs in our community to better serve individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Long Beach and Columbus representatives are working with the National HUD office to design the process for this designation, another example where the Long Beach Continuum of Care system continues to be regarded as a best practice model for other CoC jurisdictions.
The City's Homeless Services Advisory Committee (HSAC) oversees the grant renewal/ allocation process, in collaboration with the CoC General Membership and Board, comprised of diverse community stakeholders. The Health Department will again be the lead recipient agency for 2015 and is recommending that the sub-recipient agencies chosen through the 2014 Request for Proposal (RFP) process remain eligible for the 2015 application submission to HUD. Upon award notification from HUD, the Health Department will monitor the performance of all program sub-recipients to ensure compliance with Federal and local grant requirements, performance standards and ensure local objectives are also met. The City's Housing Authority will administer the CoC Program Rental Assistance projects.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Linda Vu on May 13, 2015 and by Budget Management Officer Victoria Bell on May 19, 2015.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on June 9, 2015 to allow the Health Department to begin the process of responding to the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the 2015 Continuum of Care Competitive Process.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City of Long Beach Health Department portion of the grant is expected to be approximately $1,554,648, which is currently budgeted in the Health Fund (SR 130) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HE). A cash match of $388,665 is required, which the City fulfills through the operation of the Multi-Service Center, and is currently budgeted in the General Fund (GF). Currently, eleven City employees facilitate the operations of the Multi-Service Center and seven City employees provide grant management and oversight services. Sub-recipient contracts with 12 non-profit agencies support more than 100 other jobs in Long Beach.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
Paula Barrow, Chair
Homeless Services Advisory Committee
By:
KELLY COLOPY,
DIRECTOR
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER