DATE: June 18, 2019
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Delfino E. Neira, Director, Department of Social Services
SUBJECT: Resolution Authorizing the County of Fresno as an approved Administrative Entity for the 2019 California Emergency Solutions and Housing Program administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Adopt Resolution authorizing the County of Fresno, through the Department of Social Services, to serve as the Administrative Entity on behalf of the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care for the 2019 California Emergency Solutions and Housing Program administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action is necessary for the County’s participation as the Administrative Entity (AE) on behalf of the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care (FMCoC) for the 2019 allocation of the California Emergency Solutions and Housing (CESH) Program, allowing the Department of Social Services to administer the funds to service providers for eligible homeless services within the FMCoC’s jurisdiction. The Department will submit the CESH Program Application to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) along with the resolution to meet the June 28, 2019 deadline, contingent upon your Board’s approval. There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternative action. Should your Board elect not to approve the recommended action, the County of Fresno would forfeit approximately $879,281 of funding available to serve the homeless in the community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. If approved, HCD will contract with the County to make an estimated $879,281 available, with up to 5% or $43,964 of the grant to be used for administrative costs. Although $879,281 was allocated to the FMCoC, $1,758,562 is listed in the proposed resolution as recommended by HCD, in the event that additional funds become available. Funds from the grant will be available for use for five years from the date HCD executes a contract with the AE. Sufficient appropriations will be included in the Department’s Org 5610 FY 2019-20 Recommended Budget and will be included in subsequent budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
Senate Bill (SB) 850 (Chapter 48, Statutes of 2018) established the CESH Program, which is funded with a portion of the Building Homes and Jobs Act (Chapter 364, Statutes of 2017). The first round of CESH funding provided approximately $25 million statewide for homeless services funded by the first and second quarters of revenue, and the second round will provide approximately $29 million from the third and fourth quarters of revenue.
Your Board approved the County of Fresno, through the Department, to serve as the AE on behalf of the FMCoC on October 6, 2018 for the 2018 CESH Program funds. On October 12, 2018, the Department submitted the CESH Program Application to HCD and on January 11, 2019, the Department received the formal award letter from HCD in the amount of $1,563,085.
Approval of the recommended action will allow the County of Fresno to serve as the AE for round two of the CESH Program funds, which will allow additional homeless services to be provided throughout the FMCoC’s jurisdiction, including the County of Madera. The FMCoC has been allocated $879,281 for round two of CESH funding. The funds may be used for five primary activities: housing relocation and stabilization services, operating subsidies for permanent housing, flexible housing subsidies, operating support for emergency housing interventions, and system support for homeless services and housing delivery.
With your Board’s approval of the recommended action, the Department will submit the program application by or before June 28, 2019. Once awarded, HCD will issue an agreement for the funds, which will be brought to your Board for approval.
The recommended resolution identifies that your Board will retain the power to execute the Standard Agreement with HCD and agreements with subrecipients of the funding, and identifies the Director of the Department as an Authorized Signer for documents pertaining to the administration of CESH funding.
Although CESH funds are allocated to the FMCoC and are under its jurisdiction, as the Administrative Entity, the County, through the Department, will be responsible for awarding funds to service providers through the County’s procurement process. Agreements resulting from the process will be brought to your Board for approval, as appropriate.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #53, April 23, 2019
BAI #55, November 6, 2018
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Resolution
On file with Clerk - 2019 CESH Program Application
CAO ANALYST:
Sonia M. De La Rosa