DATE: March 11, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Sanja Bugay, Director, Department of Social Services
SUBJECT: Revenue Agreement with the California Department of Housing and Community Development
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an Agreement with the California Department of Housing and Community Development for the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention grant (#24-HHAP-10044), effective upon execution by the California Department of Community Development through June 30, 2029, total not to exceed $11,720,018; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute the related Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Authorized Signatories Form, as the Authorized Representative.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions, which will allow the Department of Social Services (Department) to receive the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program Round 5 (HHAP-5) funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on behalf of the County of Fresno and the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care (FMCoC). The Department will serve as the Administrative Entity for the combined funding allocation that will be used to support regional coordination and provide homeless services in the FMCoC service area (Fresno and Madera counties). It is necessary for the Chairman to be designated as the Authorized Representative on the HHAP Authorized Signatories Form to execute the HHAP-5 standard agreement. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board elect not to approve the recommended actions, the County would be out of compliance with the HHAP-5 Local Homelessness Action Plan approved by the Board and the Regional Memorandum of Understanding executed by the Board, on March 19, 2024, and would forfeit $11,720,018 in HHAP-5 funding available to address homelessness needs in the Fresno and Madera region.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The total County and FMCoC HHAP-5 allocations ($11,720,018) are $5,259,128 and $6,460,890, respectively. Upon execution of the Standard Agreement, the County will receive an initial disbursement of 50% of the base allocations ($5,122,032), the planning allocations ($128,051) and the initial supplemental allocations ($1,347,903) for a lump sum of $6,597,986. The remaining 50% ($5,122,032) will be disbursed upon demonstrating that the County has met the minimum obligation requirement of 75%, the minimum expenditure requirement of 50% of the initial disbursement, and approval of an updated Regionally Coordinated Homelessness Action Plan demonstrating progress toward outcome goals by June 30, 2026. A maximum of 7% ($820,401) of the total combined allocation of $11,720,018 will be retained for the Department’s administrative costs. A minimum of 10% ($1,172,002) of the total combined allocation must be spent on services for youth experiencing homelessness. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Departments Org 5610 FY 2024-25 Adopted Budget and will be included in subsequent budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
The State of California established HHAP-5 pursuant to the provisions in Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Health and Safety Code (HSC) section 50230) of Part 1 of Division 31 of the HSC. (Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 40, Sec. 17 (AB 129) effective July 10, 2023). The program is administered by HCD in the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency (BCSH). HHAP-5 provides flexible block grant funds to Continuums of Care, large cities (population of 300,000+) and counties to build on the regional coordination created through previous HCD grant funding and support local jurisdictions in their unified regional responses to reduce and end homelessness.
On March 19, 2024, the Board conducted a public hearing to receive testimony of the updated local homelessness action plan, approved the plan, executed the Regional Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of the area jurisdictions, as required, and authorized the Department to submit a joint application on behalf of the County and the FMCoC for HHAP-5 funding.
On May 21, 2024 the Board approved nine agreements with six different agencies (Turning Point of Central California, Poverello House, Marjaree Mason Center, Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, WestCare, California, Inc., and Selma Community Outreach Ministries) to provide emergency shelter triage center service, emergency shelter bridge housing, emergency shelter youth bridge housing, youth rapid rehousing, rapid rehousing services, and diversion services. HHAP-5 was identified as a funding source to continue these services with the aforementioned agencies.
The Department will serve as the Administrative Entity for the FMCoC’s HHAP-5 grant allocation. Although the FMCoC allocation will be administered by the County, services provided must be in alignment with the joint service plan and MOU developed in cooperation with the FMCoC and the other regional applicants, including the City of Fresno and the County of Madera.
With your Board’s approval of the recommended actions, $11,720,018 in HHAP-5 funding will be available to provide emergency assistance to people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness in the FMCoC jurisdiction, including services put into place with previous rounds of HHAP, that will be able to continue with HHAP-5 funding. Any additional agreements or amendments to be supported by the HHAP-5 grant will be brought before your Board for approval at a future date, as appropriate.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #56, May 21, 2024
BAI #8, March 19, 2024
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - HHAP-5 Standard Agreement
On file with Clerk - Authorized Signatory Form
CAO ANALYST:
Dylan McCully