Title
Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Accept the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program Round 6 award in the amount of $670,181.51, and approve and authorize the Chair to sign the California Department of Housing and Community Development Funding In Agreement 10349, for the term of execution through June 30, 2030; and
2) Delegate authority to the HHSA Director or Chief Assistant Director to execute future amendments to this agreement that do not increase Net County Cost, contingent upon County Counsel and Risk Management approval as applicable, and subsequent administrative documents or required fiscal or programmatic reports.
FUNDING: 100% State funding authorized pursuant to California Assembly Bill 166, and Health and Safety Code 50239 signed into law by Governor Newsom on July 2, 2024; no matching funds are required.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
Since 2020, HHSA and the El Dorado Opportunity Knocks Continuum of Care (EDOK CoC) have participated in the HHAP Program, receiving funding in Rounds one through five. As the Administrative Entity (AE) for the EDOK CoC, HHSA submits funding applications and administers all HHAP Standard Agreements with HCD (Legistar file 24-0782).
On March 12, 2024, the Board authorized HHSA, in partnership with the EDOK CoC to jointly apply to HHAP Round 5 funding, which included the submission of a Regionally Coordinated Homelessness Action Plan (RCHAP), a regional plan developed with input from HHSA, the EDOK CoC, and regional stakeholders to address homelessness within the region, emphasizing collaborative efforts (Legistar file 23-2113). In this same agenda item, the Board authorized the Chief Administrative Officer to execute non-financial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 9566, which committed HHSA and the EDOK CoC to the RCHAP (as a requirement of the application), and delegated authority to the HHSA Director to execute the HHAP-5 Funding Agreement.
On February 24, 2025, HCD released the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the HHAP Program Round 6 inviting California Continuums of Care, cities, and counties to apply. The State’s defined purpose of HHAP-6 is to prevent and expeditiously reduce unsheltered homelessness through homelessness prevention activities and sustain existing interim housing and permanent housing solutions, including long-term sustainability of permanent affordable housing. HHAP-6 required returning applicants to update their previously submitted RCHAP to incorporate the requirements and funding plan in accordance with Health Safety Code Section 50240(a). The RCHAP remained consistent across the HHAP-5 and HHAP-6 application, with the exception of the two areas below:
(1) Housing Element Compliance and implementation: The Housing Element is one of seven General Plan Elements mandated by the State of California and is administered by the County's Planning and Building Department (PAB). Unlike HHAP-5, which only required jurisdictions to indicate whether they had a substantially compliant Housing Element (HE), HHAP-6 required applicants to identify any HE program commitments that were not implemented and to develop a timeline and plan for bringing those programs into compliance. HHSA worked closely with County Planning and Building staff to review the HE implementation status, identify any delayed program commitments, and establish anticipated completion dates. On November 4, 2025, the Board adopted Resolution 166-2025, approving PAB's Resolution of Intention (ROI) to amend various sections of Title 130 of the Zoning Ordinance and the General Plan Use Element to codify Housing Element Implementation measures, to meet County housing goals (Legistar file 25-1768). The Housing Element implementation measures included in this ROI will satisfy the implementation plan required in the RCHAP.
(2) Homeless Encampment Policy: HHAP-6 required all applicants to identify homeless encampments within their jurisdiction, describe specific strategies to address the encampments, and to provide a current policy to address encampments that fully or partially aligns with the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) Guidance on Addressing Encampments. HHSA collaborated with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office (EDSO) Homeless Enforcement and Assessment Team (HEAT) to identify encampment areas, develop a proposed encampment response policy, and document current outreach and response efforts to address the encampments.
In alignment with the HHAP-6 application requirements, the non-financial MOU 9566 has been amended to incorporate each party’s commitment to the amended HHAP-6 RCHAP.
The HHAP-6 funding award is divided between allocations of $346,111.91 for the EDOK CoC and $324,069.60 for the County, for the total of $670,181.51. Historically, HHSA has utilized HHAP funding to support operations of the Navigation Center. Consistent with recommendations from the County’s Homelessness Ad Hoc Committee and in alignment with the County’s direction to pursue the transition toward a treatment-based interim housing model, HHSA intends to utilize the County’s HHAP 6 funding as a critical bridge resource during both the current Navigation Center wind-down process and the anticipated service gap preceding the opening of the treatment-focused campus at 300 Forni Road. HHAP Round 6 is highly flexible and can be used for a wide range of eligible activities to include rapid rehousing, interim housing, rental assistance, landlord engagement and incentives, housing navigation, and other housing stabilization strategies designed to support individuals experiencing homelessness during the transition.
To continue participation in the HHAP Program, HHSA, as the AE for the EDOK CoC, recommends the Board approve this agenda item.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to approve this recommendation, the County and EDOK CoC would be ineligible to participate in the HHAP Program Round 6 and would be unable to accept the grant allocation of $670,181.51. Consequently, the County’s ability to reduce and prevent homelessness in the region may be greatly reduced.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
1) 11/15/22, 22-1921, HHSA HHAP Round 4 Funding
2) 12/06/22, 22-2226, HHSA HHAP Round 4 Guidance Memo
3) 03/12/24, 23-2113, HHSA HHAP 5 Application
4) 11/04/25, 25-1768, PBD- LRP ROI to Amending Title 130 Housing and General Plan Housing Element
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel, Risk Management, El Dorado Opportunity Knocks Continuum of Care, Sheriff's Office, Planning and Building.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with this agenda item. HHAP Program Round 6 limits the use of available funding for administrative costs to no more than 7% of the total allocation (including 1% administration for the County’s Homeless Management Information System), which could equate up to $46,912.71 for the administration of the grant. HHSA has established controls to monitor costs of funding administration for this grant. Sufficient appropriations were included in the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget and will be included in future budgets for the term of the Agreement.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Clerk of the Board to obtain signature of Chair on Agreement 10349.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Safe and Healthy Communities
Priority: Develop a continuum of support and housing opportunities for unhoused individuals
Action Item: Continue Engagement with County departments, the homeless community, and countywide partners to develop effective strategies including for example, transitional housing
CONTACT
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Director, Health and Human Services Agency