TITLE
Recommendation to adopt Specifications No. RFP HSD-2020-001 and award contracts to Volunteers of America Los Angeles (VOALA), of Los Angeles, CA, in the total amount of $1,697,179, and Interval House, of Long Beach, CA, in the total amount of $1,375,000, for a total aggregate contract amount of $3,072,179, for providing homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing services through the Department of Housing and Urban Development Federal Emergency Solutions Grant funded by the CARES Act, for a 20-month period beginning on January 1, 2021, and authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all necessary documents to enter into contracts including any necessary amendments; and
Increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Health and Human Services Department by $14,768,725, offset by an expense transfer to the Community Development Grants Group in the Development Services Department. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
City Council approval is requested to enter into contracts with Volunteers of America Los Angeles and Interval House for providing homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing services in the Long Beach Continuum of Care (CoC) under the 2020 Federal Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (ESG-CV).
On June 9, 2020, the City Council approved the City’s first allocation of ESG program funds in the amount of $1,846,866, from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as authorized by the CARES Act, Public Law 116-136. On November 17, 2020, the City Council approved the City’s second allocation of ESG Program funds from HUD, commonly referred to as ESG-CV2 funds, in the amount of $13,496,694, for a total of $15,343,560. Both allocations are appropriated in the Community Development Grants Fund Group in the Development Services Department. Of the total funding amount, the Health and Human Services Department will be administering $14,768,725 for emergency shelter development, shelter operations, and homelessness prevention. This amount includes services provided through contracts with Volunteers of America Los Angeles and Interval House. The remaining $574,835 will fund administration costs in the Development Services Department.
Of the total funding available, estimated funding from the Federal ESG-CV program to support the contracts will be split between two rounds of funding allocations. The first round of ESG-CV funding will provide a maximum of $322,179 for homelessness prevention. The second round of ESG-CV funding will provide a maximum of $1,375,000 for homelessness prevention and $1,375,000 for rapid rehousing. The recommendation of funding by components are as follows:
|
Round 1 ESG-CV Funding Amount |
|
$322,179 |
Homelessness Prevention for VOALA |
|
Round 2 ESG-CV Funding Amount |
|
$687,500 |
Homelessness Prevention for VOALA |
|
$687,500 |
Homelessness Prevention for Interval House |
|
$687,500 |
Rapid Rehousing for VOALA |
|
$687,500 |
Rapid Rehousing for Interval House |
The Health Department’s Homeless Services Division serves as the lead agency in administering homeless services grant funds across the Long Beach CoC. The purpose of the ESG-CV program is to provide funding to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the impacts of the coronavirus among individuals and families at risk of or experiencing homelessness. The funding will provide support for emergency shelter, outreach services, rapid rehousing, and homelessness prevention projects that work in collaboration with the broader CoC system in Long Beach.
This program is designed to identify sheltered and unsheltered persons experiencing homelessness, as well as those at risk of homelessness, and provide necessary services to assist those persons to quickly regain stability in permanent housing. Through the ESG-CV program, projects must work with the Long Beach Coordinated Entry System (CES), to assess the participants’ housing barriers and then link participants with the program and supportive services appropriate to the specific household situation.
The Request for Proposals (RFP) was released on November 5, 2020, and was advertised through the City’s social media channels, the Homeless Services Division website, and email outreach to the Long Beach CoC general membership. A total of eight proposals were submitted by the November 19, 2020 deadline, and all proposals reviewed by the Evaluation Committee consisting of representatives from the Homeless Services Advisory Committee. The Evaluation Committee found VOALA and Interval House as the most qualified agencies to provide homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing services.
This matter was reviewed by Business Services Bureau Manager Tara Yeats on December 21, 2020, by Deputy City Attorney Taylor M. Anderson on December 22, 2020, and by Revenue Management Officer Geraldine Alejo on December 29, 2019.
EQUITY STATEMENT
The City has incorporated the Equity Toolkit into this recommendation as requested by the City Council on April 21, 2020. This recommendation will assist people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach who are at increased vulnerability for COVID-19 exposure by providing homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing services in a housing first model.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on January 19, 2021, to provide these services expeditiously to minimize interruptions and provide support to people at risk of or experiencing homelessness at increased vulnerability of COVID-19.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total contract amount will not exceed $1,697,179 for Volunteers of America Los Angeles (VOALA) and $1,375,000 for Interval House. These services will be funded from $15,343,560 in ESG program funding from HUD as authorized by the CARES Act. ESG program funding has no match requirement and is currently appropriated in the Community Development Grants Fund Group in the Development Services Department. Of the total ESG program funding amount, the Health and Human Services Department will administer $14,768,725 for emergency shelter development, shelter operations, and homelessness prevention. This amount includes $3,072,179 to support the contracts with VOALA and Interval House. An appropriation increase of $14,768,725 is requested in the General Fund Group in the Health and Human Services Department to administer the funding, offset by an expense transfer to the Community Development Grant Fund Group in the Development Services Department where the ESG program funding is currently appropriated. This recommendation has no staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties and is consistent with existing City Council priorities. There is no local job impact associated with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
BODY
[Enter Body Here]
Respectfully Submitted,
KELLY COLOPY
DIRECTOR
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
APPROVED:
THOMAS B. MODICA
CITY MANAGER