DATE: April 22, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Paul Nerland, County Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Collaborative Applicant Resolution and Letter of Interest
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve and Authorize the County Administrative Officer to submit a Letter of Interest to the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care (FMCoC) to serve as the Collaborative Applicant on behalf of the FMCoC for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) Program;
2. Adopt Resolution authorizing the County of Fresno, through the County Administrative Office, to serve as the Collaborative Applicant on behalf of the FMCoC for the HUD CoC Program; and
3. Approve and authorize the County Administrative Officer, or designee to execute grant related documents necessary to perform the duties of the Collaborative Applicant on behalf of the FMCoC for the HUD CoC Program.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Approval of the recommended actions will allow the County Administrative Office (Department) to serve as the Collaborative Applicant on behalf of the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care (FMCoC) for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) Program. On March 12, the FMCoC submitted a request to the County for a letter of interest to serve as the Collaborative Applicant. The FMCoC, in coordination with its designated Collaborative Applicant, submits an annual funding application for the HUD CoC program to support an array of services for people experiencing homelessness in the FMCoC service area of Fresno and Madera counties. This item pertains to Fresno and Madera counties.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may elect not to authorize the County to serve as the Collaborative Applicant. However, the County is one of the only eligible local entities with the necessary administrative capacity and homeless services oversight experience to perform the role of Collaborative Applicant. If the recommended actions are not approved, critical funding available to the FMCoC to provide homeless services throughout Fresno and Madera counties may be jeopardized.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Should your Board authorize the Department to serve as the Collaborative Applicant, the Department will apply for a CoC Planning grant available to support the administrative duties of the Collaborative Applicant. The anticipated 2024 CoC Planning grant amount for contract year 12/1/25 - 11/30/26 is approximately $680,000. If awarded, the Department will return to your Board in late 2025 for approval of the CoC Planning grant standard agreement.
DISCUSSION:
The HUD CoC program is designed to promote communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness by providing funding for efforts by nonprofit service providers and local governments and promoting access to and effective utilization of mainstream programs by individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The Collaborative Applicant is the entity the CoC designates to submit the annual CoC Program Competition application and apply for planning funds on its behalf. Although the FMCoC is required to designate a Collaborative Applicant to submit a CoC Program funding application, it retains the responsibility for the application, including approving it for submission.
The 2024 HUD CoC program grant award will provide $14,265,782 to the FMCoC to support a variety of homeless services throughout Fresno and Madera counties, including permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, street outreach, supportive services, homeless data management, and services for victims of domestic violence. HUD CoC grant funds are allocated directly to FMCoC member agencies selected through an annual local funding competition overseen by the Collaborative Applicant.
On March 12, 2025, the FMCoC submitted a request to the County for a letter of interest to serve as the Collaborative Applicant. The Housing Authority of the City of Fresno (FHA), which currently serves as the Collaborative Applicant for the FMCoC, has indicated that they will no longer serve as the Collaborative Applicant following the current HUD CoC contract year ending November 30, 2025. The FMCoC must designate a new Collaborative Applicant to carry out the administrative functions of the CoC, including managing the Notice of Funding Opportunity process for HUD CoC program funding. The recommended letter of interest and Resolution demonstrate the County’s capacity to fulfill the role of Collaborative Applicant and commitment to furthering communitywide efforts to end homelessness.
Since 2018, the County, through the Department of Social Services, has served as the Administrative Entity for State funding awarded to the FMCoC. The County has successfully led numerous applications for State funding, securing five rounds of Homeless Housing Assistance Program funding as well as the California Housing and Community Development Emergency Solutions Grant funding on behalf of the FMCoC. As the Collaborative Applicant, the County would serve a similar role for Federal funds available to the FMCoC through the HUD CoC Program and other grants such as CoC Builds and the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project.
If the recommended actions are approved by your Board, a letter of interest will be submitted to the FMCoC and the Department will be designated as the Collaborative Applicant following ratification by the FMCoC at the May 2025 general meeting. Once formally designated as the Collaborative Applicant by the FMCoC, the Department will collaborate closely with FHA and Homebase, a consultant funded through the CoC Planning grant, to ensure a smooth transition of the Collaborative Applicant role from FHA to the County. Additionally, the Department will leverage existing CoC support staff with FMCoC member agencies funded through a grant provided by the local Managed Care Plans to support the administrative functions of the FMCoC and Collaborative Applicant. Once the CoC Planning grant is awarded to the County, the Department will reevaluate whether those supporting administrative roles would be provided by County staff or continue through contracted providers.
Approval of the recommended actions will allow the Department to serve as the Collaborative Applicant to administer the HUD CoC Program grant and ensure the continued efficient operations of the FMCoC in its efforts to address and end homelessness.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #8, March 19, 2024
BAI #9, November 29, 2022
BAI #10, June 21, 2022
BAI #3, February 4, 2020
BAI #55, November 6, 2018
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Letter of Interest
On file with Clerk - Resolution
CAO ANALYST:
Dylan McCully