TITLE
Recommendation to receive and file a report on the financial assistance accepted by the City of Long Beach, from July 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020, under Resolution No. 20-0049 to respond to the proclaimed emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
Increase appropriations in several funds across several departments for various COVID-19-related grant opportunities. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
On March 4, 2020, the City of Long Beach (City) declared local health and city emergencies to strengthen the City's preparedness and ability to respond to the novel coronavirus, commonly known as COVID-19. City Council authorized the declarations on March 10, 2020.
Since that time, the City Health Officer (CHO), under authority of applicable State law, issued several City Health Orders guiding and restricting activities of the community as a means of slowing the spread and mitigating the effects of COVID-19. These Health Orders and certain COVID-19 emergency response activities were necessary to protect public health, life, and safety of the Long Beach community during this health emergency while cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in the Long Beach community began to rise.
As part of the overall assessment of potential City needs to respond to the serious and imminent threat of an outbreak of COVID-19, it was determined that the City should take advantage of federal and state grants being made available to address the COVID-19 pandemic and, as such, it became necessary for the City to apply for and enter into grant agreements in an expedited manner. To provide staff with greater ability to secure grant funds as they become available to fund COVID-19 response activities, on April 14, 2020, the City Council adopted Resolution RES- 20-0049 authorizing the City Manager to execute documents applying for and expending financial assistance in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.
This authorization allows for the City Manager, or designee, to apply for, accept, and expend funding for COVID-19-related grants, with and without a match requirement, and requires that all grant agreements executed under this authority be presented to the City Council at the next practicable opportunity for receive and file.
This is the second report being presented to the City Council to meet this reporting requirement and includes nine COVID-19 financial assistance opportunities, totaling approximately $29 million, executed by the City Manager, or designee, for the period of July 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020. The first report on August 4, 2020, presented eight COVID-19 financial assistance opportunities accepted as of June 30, 2020, totaling approximately $39.8 million. Inclusive of the items in this report, the cumulative total of COVID-19 financial assistance opportunities reported to date is 17 totaling $68.7 million. This total represents an estimate of funding, which the City may receive across various funds. Actual funding will vary as some funding opportunities are cost reimbursements and are based on eligible expenditures incurred.
It should be noted that this report does not include grants that have been presented to the City Council separately (not under RES-20-0049) including Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funding of $40.3 million presented on July 6, 2020.
This report also does not include funding opportunities, which are in the process of being negotiated by the City. Grant agreements that are in the process of being accepted and/or executed by the City after September 30, 2020, will continue to be tracked and reported to the City Council in the next report, anticipated to be provided in February 2020.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Amy R. Webber on October 27, 2020 and by Budget Analysis Officer Julissa Jose-Murray on October 25, 2020.
EQUITY LENS
The City has incorporated the Equity Toolkit in this recommendation, as requested by the City Council on April 21, 2020. For many underrepresented community members, the pandemic has the potential to exacerbate existing racial, economic, health, education, and gender inequities. In response, the City will consider racial and economic equity and examine how various communities most vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19 will be affected. As much as possible, spending allocations will be made equitably to address the greatest COVID vulnerability in priority areas.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on November 17, 2020, to enable the timely processing of budget adjustments.
FISCAL IMPACT
Development Services
Emergency Solutions Grant Coronavirus (ESG-CV2) Funds
1. Increase appropriations in the Community Development Block Grant Fund in the Development Services Department by $13,496,694, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic among individuals and families who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance; and, to support additional homeless assistance and homelessness prevention activities, offset by grant revenues.
On June 9, 2020, the City Council approved the City’s first allocation of Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as authorized by the CARES Act, Public Law 116-136. That allocation of $1,846,866 is being administered by the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) for emergency shelter development and operation and for homeless prevention. The Development Services Department has now received the second allocation of ESG Program funds from HUD in the amount of $13,496,694. This second allocation, commonly referred to as ESG-CV2 funds, will be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic among individuals and families who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance; and, to support additional homeless assistance and homelessness prevention activities to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. With this second allocation, the total ESG funding allocated to the City is $15,343,560.
The ESG-CV2 funds will support street outreach including case management; emergency non-congregate sheltering (Project Roomkey) in the form of hotel rooms for vulnerable persons experiencing homelessness, for a six-month period, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 including meals, case management, and mental health services; match funding for the acquisition of a motel for Project Homekey to provide transitional housing for up to 100 people experiencing homelessness; rental assistance; and, administrative activities. The operational period of this grant is July 16, 2020 to September 30, 2022. There is no local match requirement for this grant.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Fourth District - Social Program Agreement
2. Increase appropriations in the Community Development Block Grant Fund in the Development Services Department by $300,000, to support 100 families in Long Beach with three months of rental assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, offset by grant revenues.
The Development Services Department has received a one-time allocation from Los Angeles County Board Supervisor 4th District, Janice Hahn, in the amount of $300,000, to support the City’s Rental Assistance program (Program). This Program provides emergency rental assistance of up to $1,000 per month with a maximum of $3,000 per household, for a maximum of up to three consecutive months, to households earning 80 percent or less of Area Median Income and to households that have experienced income loss due to COVID-19 impacts. Rental assistance payments can be used to cover all or a portion of monthly rent and/or rental arrears payments. The Program is primarily funded with the reallocation of HOME funds and CDBG-CV funds. This additional funding will support an additional 100 families in Long Beach with three months of rental assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The operational period of these funds is May 2020 to December 31, 2020. There is no local match requirement for this grant.
Economic Development
Mental Health of America of Los Angeles (MHALA)
In 2018, Mental Health of America (MHALA) began incorporating the City’s Pacific Gateway Workforce Development (Pacific Gateway) programs to provide employment and educational training services to their clients. In March 2020, Pacific Gateway expanded its services and staff efforts to assist MHALA clients who were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Pacific Gateway has received an additional $33,333, under subcontract with MHALA, from a grant award from the County of Los Angeles Department of Mental Health to continue this increased service level, which includes providing information on unemployment insurance benefits and resource referrals. With these funds, Pacific Gateway also assigned staff to provide support at a temporary shelter in Silverado Park, which offered a variety of services, including medical and mental health assessment and resources. The operational period of this funding was June 30, 2020 through July 31, 2020. There is no local match requirement for this grant. No increase in appropriation is needed for this grant as there is sufficient carryover appropriation within the department.
Health and Human Services Department
HIV Care Program COVID Relief Supplemental
3. Increase appropriations in the Health Fund Group in the Health and Human Services Department by $277,869, to provide services to HIV Care Program (HCP) clients to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19, offset by grant revenues.
The California Department of Public Health has awarded $277,869 in one-time supplemental funding to the Health Department under the CARES Act, to provide services to HCP clients to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. The population served by this grant is at a significantly higher risk as they are living with HIV and represent a population 500 percent under the federal poverty level. This funding will provide outpatient/ambulatory health services, medical transportation, and food bank services. The operational period of this grant is April 15, 2020 to March 31, 2021. There is no local match requirement for this grant.
COVID-19 Birth Worker Relief Fund
The Health Department has received a mini-grant in the amount of $2,500 from University of California San Francisco to assist pregnant and postpartum Black women experiencing hardships from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Health Department’s Black Infant Health (BIH) Team will provide financial assistance to 100 low-income participants in the form of grocery and Target gift cards to pay for essential items such as food, sanitation supplies, and face coverings. The COVID-19 economic crisis has led to significant financial hardship for low-income communities of color manifested through food insecurity, unemployment, and homelessness. Economists expect national unemployment to reach 15 percent for the general public, but 28 percent for the Black community. The operational period of this grant is April 15, 2020 to April 14, 2021. There is no local match requirement for this grant. No increase in appropriation is needed as this grant will operate within the BIH project.
Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response - COVID-19 Supplemental
4. Increase appropriation in the Health Fund Group in the Health and Human Services Department by $1,217,923, to carry out surveillance, epidemiology, laboratory capacity, infection control, mitigation, communications, and other COVID-19 preparedness and response activities, offset by grant revenues.
The Health Department has received supplemental funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in the amount of $1,217,923, to carry out certain public health expenses related to surveillance, epidemiology, laboratory capacity, infection control, mitigation, communications, and other preparedness and response activities associated with the COVID-19 response. The operational period of this grant is March 5, 2020 to March 15, 2021. There is no local match requirement for this grant
Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Supplemental - CDPH
The Health Department operates the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Supplement Program for low-income families through a contract with the State of California Department of Public Health (CDPH). This program provides nutrition education through in-group and individual counseling, supplemental food benefits, breastfeeding support, and health and social service referrals to eligible participants throughout Long Beach. This additional one-time allocation in the amount of $196,100 comes as an amendment to an existing grant to cover allowable COVID-19-related activities and supplies for the WIC Program. The operational period of this grant was October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020. There is no local match requirement for this grant. No increase in appropriation is needed as this grant operated within the existing program.
Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ELC)
5. Increase appropriations in the Health Fund Group in the Health and Human Services Department by $13,348,636, to establish a robust COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 testing program and support the establishment of modernized public health surveillance systems, offset by grant revenues.
The Health Department has been awarded $13,348,636 by the County of Los Angeles from funds allocated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ELC) to establish a robust COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 testing program that ensures adequate testing is made available according to CDC priorities. This funding will ensure provisions are in place to meet future surge capacity testing needs including point of care or other rapid result testing for local outbreaks, which includes testing at non-traditional sites; and, supports the establishment of modernized public health surveillance systems. Eligible costs for this award include, but are not limited to, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual services, and indirect costs. The operational period of this funding is May 19, 2020 to November 18, 2022. There is no local match requirement for this grant.
Long Beach Airport
CARES ACT Supplemental - Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
The Long Beach Airport has received a CARES Act supplemental grant up to $49,776 from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The purpose of this grant is to reimburse Airport Authorities for the additional cleaning and sanitization activities from COVID-19 as required by local and state health authorities and the CDC. The funding will support increased cleaning and sanitization services to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the TSA security checkpoint space and other TSA-occupied areas at the Long Beach Airport. The performance period of this grant is June 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. There is no local match requirement for this grant. No increase in appropriation is needed as there is sufficient appropriation within the department.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
BODY
[Enter Body Here]
Respectfully Submitted,
JOHN GROSS
DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
APPROVED:
THOMAS B. MODICA
CITY MANAGER