DATE: June 18, 2024
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Susan Holt, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT: Agreement for Permanent Supportive Housing Services with Turning Point of Central California, Inc.
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Under Administrative Policy No. 34 for competitive bids or requests for proposals, determine that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement is satisfied and a suspension of competition is warranted due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, and that the best interests of the County would be served by entering into an agreement with Turning Point of Central California, Inc. as this vendor is uniquely qualified to provide the Permanent Supportive Housing with onsite Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Supportive Services; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an Agreement with Turning Point of Central California, Inc. for Permanent Supportive Housing Services, effective July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2029, which includes a three-year initial term with two optional one-year extensions, with a total maximum compensation of $375,000.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended actions will allow the Department of Behavioral Health (Department) to assist clients with accessing Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) with onsite Mental Health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) supportive services provided by Turning Point of Central California, Inc (TP) through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) Grant program. The Department will provide a portion of operating costs for up to 24 housing units occupied by clients. The program will be funded through Department Realignment funds. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board does not approve the recommended actions, the Department will forfeit homeless community family-centered housing units.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
It is requested that the County find under Administrative Policy No. 34 (AP 34) that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement is satisfied, and a suspension of competition is warranted due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, as TP at Family Villa and Falcon Court provides PSH for families and individuals that meet the HUD definition of homelessness with at least one adult family member having a MH and/or SUD need. With the TP PSH agreement expiring on June 30, 2024, the Department is requesting a renewal for an additional three-year with two optional twelve-month terms to continue to provide PSH to individuals and their families served by the Department. It is essential to prevent a disruption in the services to the families already residing at each site as this could jeopardize their ability to maintain stable housing and may result in a return to homelessness. TP offers a unique service that many other service providers in our community are not able to provide. Since 2014 Turning Point has maintained site control of both Family Villa and Falcon Court PSH sites, and although this was originally competitively bid as a Master Agreement, no other providers have shown efficacy in providing the required supportive services. The Department has identified that it is in the best interest of the County to enter into an agreement with TP based on the level of capability shown by the vendor through services previously provided under the current and past agreements. The Internal Services Department - Purchasing Division concurs with the DBH’s assessment that this satisfies the exception to the competitive bidding process required by AP 34.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase to Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The maximum compensation from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2029, is $375,000 for the term of the agreement. Cost is based upon actual usage of the housing units at a daily rate of $8.56 per unit per month. The recommended agreement will be financed with Department Realignment funds. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues will be included in the Department’s Org 5630 FY 2024-2025 Recommended Budget and in future Department budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
The Department is seeking Board approval to renew an existing agreement with TP through a Suspension of Competition. The Board approved the first PSH agreement with TP on May 20, 2014 to provide twenty-six (26) permanent two-bedroom housing units and supportive services to clients referred exclusively by the Department and the Department of Social Services (DSS), consisting of mothers with children, including perinatal, who are disabled due to a significant addiction to alcohol or other drugs, many of whom also suffer from a co-occurring diagnosed mental health disorder that is life-function impairing.
In January 2020, the second agreement was awarded through an RFSQ with Purchasing. Although originally setup as a Master Agreement, TP was the sole provider for the last five years. This new agreement transitioned, removed DSS as a partner and became an intervention that combines affordable housing assistance with support services to address the needs of chronically homeless people. The services are designed to build independent living skills while connecting those served with community-based services tailored to individualized needs. PSH services are not time limited.
The Department intends to provide a portion of the overall costs of the PSH program as match funds for HUD’s CoC grants, to help clients access services. PSH services are available to individuals and their families that meet the HUD definition of homelessness and who have a mental health and/or SUD need. TP provides these PSH services between two service sites: Family Villa and Falcon Court. As housing continues to be identified as a critical need for clients, the recommended agreement will allow the Department to continue providing much needed homeless housing. The proposed renewal will be the third PSH agreement with TP for services.
On January 21, 2020, your Board approved a retroactive Master Agreement (20-032) with various contractors for Permanent Supportive Housing Services, effective January 1, 2020, not to exceed four and a half consecutive years, which includes a two-and-half-year base contract with two optional one-year extensions, total not to exceed $675,000.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #27, January 21, 2020
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Suspension of Competition Acquisition
On file with Clerk - Superseding Agreement Turning Point Permanent Supportive Housing
CAO ANALYST:
Dylan McCully