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Health and Human Services Agency recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign the following two certifications which will be part of The Center of Violence Free-Relationships' applications to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for 2014 Emergency Solutions Grants Program funding:
1) A Certification of Local Approval for the Emergency Shelter component; and
2) A Certification of Local Approval for the Rapid Re-housing component.
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Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost
There is no fiscal impact or change to Net County Cost associated with this item. The Center for Violence Free Relationships is the grant applicant and, if awarded, is responsible for administering and meeting all grant requirements.
Background
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 (42 U.S.C. 11371 et seq.) provides federal money for homeless shelter programs. The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009 reauthorized and amended the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act by amending the existing Federal Emergency Shelter Grants (FESG) Program to, among other things, significantly revise the definition of homelessness and blend FESG into the newly established Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program.
Organizations eligible to apply for ESG funding include private non-profit organizations and units of general purpose local government. Units of general purpose local government cannot already be recipients of formula ESG funds directly from the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development.
The Center for Violence-Free Relationships (The Center) received FESG funding for nearly 20 years to fund their emergency shelter and applied for the 2013 ESG Program, which required supplying a Certification of Local Approval signed by the Board of Supervisors. On December 10, 2013 (Item #17), the Board authorized the Chair to sign a Certification of Local Approval for The Center's 2013 funding application for ESG Program Emergency Shelter funding.
Reason for Recommendation
The Center plans to submit separate applications to HCD for two ESG Program components; Emergency Shelter and Rapid Re-housing. If awarded, the Emergency Shelter component will provide funding for The Center's ongoing shelter operations. The Rapid Re-housing component will fund activities such as housing relocation and stabilization services, as well as short-term and medium term rental assistance to eligible individuals and families.
The HCD ESG Program 2014 Allocation Notice of Funding Availability requires all non-profit organizations applying to receive grant funds to submit a Certification of Local Approval completed and signed by the city or county where the project is located. The certifications acknowledge the County's approval of The Center's operation of each proposed component. The certifications do not obligate the County to provide any financial or administrative support to The Center for administration of the grant projects.
Clerk of the Board Follow Up Actions
Return one (1) copy of each Certification of Local Approval signed by the Chair to the Health and Human Services Agency at Briw Road.
Contact
Don Ashton, M.P.A., Director