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 2014 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 $5.5 million and $8 million for a period of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016. (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) Centralized Intake 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 August 13, 2013, the City Council approved the Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) to be the lead recipient agency for the 2013 CoC Homeless Assistance Program. The Health Department was subsequently granted $6,985,304...
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