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Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Authorize the HHSA Director to apply for, and if awarded, accept funding for the 2023 Continuum of Care Coordinated Entry System (CES) Project Activity grant, administered by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), for a one-year term, effective upon execution, in the estimated amount of $22,487, and requires a 25% match in the estimated amount of $5,622, which will be met through existing grant funding received by HHSA as the Administrative Entity (AE) for the El Dorado County Opportunity Knocks (EDOK) Continuum of Care (CoC), and administered by the HHSA Housing and Homelessness Services programs;
2) If awarded, authorize the HHSA Director, acting as the Collaborative Applicant on behalf of the EDOK CoC, to execute the funding agreement, contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management; and
3) Authorize the HHSA Director, or HHSA Chief Assistant Director, to execute further documents related to said award, including any amendments which do not increase the Net County Cost of the agreement.
FUNDING: 100% Federal HUD funding in the estimated amount of $22,487, with a required 25% match contribution in the estimated amount $5,622 which will be met through grant funding administered by HHSA, acting as the AE for the EDOK CoC.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
HUD requires counties that seek to receive federal homeless assistance funds maintain a local CoC that meets federal regulations. In El Dorado County (County), the EDOK CoC serves as the local CoC. The El Dorado County Public Housing Authority (PHA), as part of HHSA, is designated by the EDOK CoC to serve as the Collaborative Applicant and AE for the CoC and administers and receives grants on their behalf. In this role, the Public Housing Authority (PHA) submits annual consolidated applications for CoC funding on behalf of and in support of the EDOK CoC. This process also includes submission of an annual competitive CES project application grant, on behalf of the EDOK CoC. The CoC Program interim rule at 24 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 578.7(a)(8) requires that CoC’s establish a CES for the purpose of providing an accessible intake assessment process for persons experiencing homelessness to better understand their needs and direct prioritization decisions for programs.
On August 1, 2023, HUD issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the 2023 CoC Competition and Non-Competitive grant. The NOFO allows the County to propose multiple single project activity applications, including an application for the CoC CES project grant in the estimated amount of $22,487. This funding requires a 25% match in the estimated amount of $5,622, which will be met through existing grant funding received by HHSA as the Administrative Entity on behalf of the CoC.
The CES funding is to be used to expand the existing CoC Coordinated Entry and Assessment System, which provides intakes to homeless residents while prioritizing assistance based on vulnerability and severity of housing and service needs. This process is required by HUD and the State, and it ensures that individuals experiencing a housing crisis have fair and equal access to available resources and are quickly identified, assessed, referred, and connected to housing and assistance based on their strengths and needs.
While Board of Supervisors Policy A-6 provides authority to a department head to apply for grants, A-6 further states that the department head shall bring the decision to accept a grant before a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board. As many of HHSA’s state and federal funders have a very tight turnaround on their request to receive an executed agreement, HHSA is requesting advance approval from the Board to authorize the HHSA Director to execute the resulting funding agreement from this grant, contingent upon County Counsel and Risk Management approval, to ensure that HHSA can execute the grant agreement in the required timeline.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could decline to apply for and accept the funding award, in which case, the EDOK CoC would not be eligible to receive the funding. This would reduce the level of coordinated entry services available to local residents in need of services.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
1) 11/9/21, 21-1676, HHSA 2021 Continuum of Care Coordinated Entry System Project Activity grant
2) 09/20/22, 22-1487, HHSA 2022 Continuum of Care Coordinated Entry System Project Activity grant
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel, Risk Management, and EDOK CoC
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with this Agenda item. The required match in the estimated amount of $5,622 will be met using existing grant funding administered by HHSA as the Administrative Entity for the EDOK CoC. As this is a renewal grant funding, it is included in the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget and will be included in subsequent budget requests.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Healthy Communities
CONTACT
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Interim Director, Health and Human Services Agency