TITLE
Recommendation to approve and adopt the funding recommendations of the Community Development Advisory Commission for the Fiscal Year 2011 (FY 11) Social Service Grant Program; and authorize City Manager to execute all necessary documents with 16 various nonprofit organizations approved for FY 11 Social Service Grant Program in the total amount of $200,000 for the period from October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The Social Service Grant (SSG) program was established in 1986 by the Long Beach City Council to encourage the development of innovative programs to address the unmet and emerging social service needs of low-income Long Beach residents. The City of Long Beach's administration of the SSG program was transferred from the Health and Human Services Department to the Community Development Department in October 2008. The SSG program was placed under the purview of the Community Development Advisory Commission (CDAC), a citizen advisory group who is charged with providing advice to the City Council on the formulation of plans, programs, and activities utilizing Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. A SSG SubCommittee was created in December 2008 to review applications and make funding recommendations to the full Commission.
On March 17, 2010, the SSG Sub-Committee met to discuss the priority needs and to reprogram the Social Service Grant to reflect the objectives of the CDBG program. The SSG Sub-Committee gave priority to agencies that provide assistance to Long Beach residents who are currently in crisis and have immediate human needs such as food, safety, shelter, and health care. Special consideration was given to culturally- and linguistically-sensitive provision of services, locally-based agencies (as opposed to nationally-based agencies), and services to youth, senior citizens, women, families, and persons with disabilities. Applicants were encouraged to submit their request based on the City's SSG Request for Proposal (RFP) application. The applicants were encouraged to consider innovative programs to meet new, unmet, or emerging community needs, and to incorporate multi-agency collaborative efforts. The applicants approved for funding must be able to document that at least 70 percent of the clients to be served with SSG funds are extremely low, very low, low-moderate income persons.
On June 2, 2010, extensive public notice of the availability of the SSG RFP was given through various methods including:
● Notices mailed, utilizing the existing list from the Department of Health and Human Services;
● Partnered with the Long Beach Nonprofit Partnership to place notice on their website and send notice to their mailing list;
● Placed notice and downloadable SSG RFP on the City website;
● E-blasted notice to community leaders and community organizations; and
● Placed a Public Notice advertisement in the Press Telegram.
On August 3, 2010, the SSG Sub-Committee met to rate the 37 applications received and make funding recommendations. This was a difficult endeavor for the SubCommittee due to the high number of worthy applicants competing for limited funding. The SSG Sub-Committee reviewed all the applications and funded applications that received a score of 80 or greater based on the criteria established in the RFP. Applicants received notice that the Sub-Committee had met and would be presenting funding recommendations to the CDAC at their meeting on August 18, 2010. Applicants were invited to attend the CDAC meeting. At that time, the Commission had authority to make changes to the recommendations. After receiving public testimony, the Commission voted to approve the recommendations as put forth by the SSG SubCommittee.
Applications that received a score of 100 and over were fully funded at $15,000; scores from 90-99 were funded at $13,000; and those who scored 80-89 were funded at $11,000. The SSG funding recommendations are attached.
This item was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Linda Trang on August 26, 2010 and Budget Management Officer Victoria Bell on August, 25, 2010.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action on this matter is requested on September 21, 2010 to ensure timely implementation of the agreements.
FISCAL IMPACT
Sufficient CDBG funds to support the Social Service Grant Program are budgeted in the Community Development Grants Fund (SR 150) in the Department of Community Development (CD). There is no impact to the General Fund. At this time, the number of jobs created or retained cannot be determined.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
DENNIS J. THYS
DIRECTOR
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER