DATE: July 18, 2023
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Sanja Bugay, Director, Department of Social Services
SUBJECT: Revenue Agreement for Transitional Aged Youth Housing Programs
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute the Standard Agreement with the California Department of Housing and Community Development for Transitional Housing Program and Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program funds, effective upon execution by the State, through five years from the effective date, total not to exceed $1,172,161.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will allow the Department of Social Services (Department) to receive funding for a program designed to assist youth, ages 18-24 to secure and maintain housing. There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board could choose not to approve the recommended action; however, the actions are required for receipt of funds. If not approved, the Department would forfeit $634,313 of Transitional Housing Program (THP) and $537,848 of Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program (HNMP) funds designated to provide housing and supportive services to former foster and out-of-home probation youth.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. If approved, the Department would receive funds through established California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) processes. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department’s Org 5610 FY 2023-24 Recommended Budget and will be included in subsequent budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
In 2019, the State of California established the Housing Navigators Program (HNP) and THP to provide funding to county child welfare services agencies. Funding was intended to help homeless or unstably housed young adults, aged 18 to 21 (HNP) and 18 to 24 (THP). THP is to be prioritized to young adults formerly in the foster care or probation systems, while HNP was to be prioritized to young adults formerly or currently in the foster care system. Funds are administered by the HCD.
In addition to HNP and THP, California provides supportive housing to foster youth who age out of the system through the Transitional Housing Program-Plus (THP-Plus), established in 2001, as well as specialized federal Housing Choice Vouchers: Family Unification Program (FUP) and Foster Youth to Independence Initiative (FYI). These voucher programs provide former foster youth with wraparound supportive services in addition to helping them secure housing. While the FUP and FYI vouchers offer an opportunity to leverage federal funding, many counties reported obstacles in utilizing this resource, as they are unable to provide the required supportive services without a dedicated funding source. HCD’s THP and HNP provided an opportunity to address this issue.
In 2022, the State of California passed Assembly Bill 1615, Former Foster Youth Housing, to expand the THP and HNP, and renamed the HNP to HNMP. As a result, the County of Fresno’s allocations of funding were increased from $116,000 to $634,313 (THP), and from $144,290 to $537,848 (HNMP). The bill increased the duration of THP-Plus from 24 months to 26 months and increased the upper age limit from 23 to 24 for all youth participating in the program. It also increased the upper age limit of HNP from 21 to 24 and updated the name of the program to the Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program, to reflect the changed focus that includes housing sustainability.
In December 2022, the Department submitted an Allocation Request Form for HNMP and THP funding. On January 24, 2023, the Department brought forth a resolution to your Board confirming the Department’s allocation request and the Board Chairman’s authority to sign the resulting Standard Agreement for THP and HNMP funds.
In compliance with County Administrative Policy No. 27, the Department is submitting the Standard Agreement received from HCD funding for Board approval. If approved by the Board, the Department will return the Standard Agreement to HCD for final execution and receipt of funds.
The Standard Agreement is provided by the State and therefore does not follow the County Example Service Agreement. The Department is currently determining uses for THP and HNMP funds that will expand or leverage existing programs to current and former foster and probation youth that require safe and stable housing.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #45, January 24, 2023
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Standard Agreement with HCD
CAO ANALYST:
Amina Flores-Becker