DATE: July 13, 2021
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Delfino E. Neira, Director, Department of Social Services
SUBJECT: Agreement with Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Make a finding that it is in the best interest of the County to suspend the competitive bidding process consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 for unusual or extraordinary circumstances as Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission is the provider of homeless services to young adults ages 18-25 at Fresno City College; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an Agreement with Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission for a pilot program for homeless services to community college students including direct financial assistance, effective July 13, 2021 through June 30, 2023 ($338,690).
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Approval of the recommended actions will allow the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (EOC) to provide homeless services, including direct financial assistance, enabling the Department of Social Services to prevent young adults ages 18-25 from becoming homeless. This item is countywide.
REPORT
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board does not approve the recommended actions, the Department will be required to identify another eligible use for the funds before grant deadlines.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
The Department’s request to suspend the competitive bid process is consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 as the Department is conducting a pilot program to target community college students that are at risk of or experiencing homelessness. EOC provides services to community college students through its partnership with Fresno City College (FCC) in the Housing Opportunities Promote Education (HOPE) program, which offers homeless services to community college students who are typically reticent about seeking assistance. This partnership would allow the Department to target a unique population of youth that are underserved by mainstream homeless programs. The Internal Services Department - Purchasing Division concurs with the Department’s request to suspend the competitive bidding process.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The maximum amount of the agreement is $338,690 and will be offset by the Housing Navigator Program (HNP) and Transitional Housing Program (THP) grants. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department’s Org 5610 FY 2021-22 Recommended Budget and will be included in future budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
In September 2019, the California Budget Act of 2019 was amended to allocate $5 million to counties for the support of housing navigators to help young adults ages 18-21 secure and maintain housing. Similarly, Senate Bill 80: Human Services Omnibus (Chapter 27, Statutes of 2019) was approved by Governor Newsom on July 27, 2019, allowing California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to provide funding to help young adults 18-25 secure and maintain housing. The Department applied for the HNP and THP grants from HCD to assist homeless youth and on March 24, 2020, your Board accepted the two grants. The COVID-19 pandemic and related budget adjustments delayed the execution of the associated revenue agreements by the State until December 2020.
If the recommended agreement is approved, the HNP grant will fund Housing Navigators to provide case management for young adults 18-21 to secure and maintain housing, improve coordination of services, make linkages to key resources across the community, and overcome barriers to locating housing. The THP grant would fund Income Specialists and direct financial assistance for young adults 18-25 to increase their income and to maintain housing stability.
HOPE assists FCC students secure and maintain housing through direct financial assistance, including security deposits, rent, and utility payments, while the students pursue academic achievement. Many of the students served are in the target age range of the HNP and THP grants. EOC is prepared to hire additional Housing Navigators to provide case management, as well as Income Specialists to assist housing insecure students to increase their income through a variety of sources such as employment and social service benefits. Partnering with HOPE will allow the Department to expand homeless services to students at FCC, leverage existing funding, and expand the number of homeless young adults assisted to achieve academic success.
If approved, the recommended agreement will be effective July 13, 2021 through June 30, 2022. The agreement may be renewed for an additional 12-month term with the written approval of both parties. The agreement may be terminated without cause by either party upon providing 30-day advance written notice. The Department is expecting annual renewal of the THP grant and will evaluate the program effectiveness at the conclusion of the agreement to consider extending the pilot or redirecting grant resources.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #54, March 24, 2020
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Suspension of Competition Acquisition Request
On file with Clerk - Agreement with EOC
CAO ANALYST:
Sonia M. De La Rosa