Title
Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board, acting as the Governing Board of the El Dorado County Public Housing Authority (PHA):
1) Authorize the PHA to continue to serve as the Collaborative Applicant on behalf of the El Dorado Opportunity Knocks (EDOK) Continuum of Care (CoC) for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 CoC Competition and Renewal Program Grants, administered by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD);
2) Approve and authorize HHSA to submit a consolidated application in collaboration with the EDOK CoC for the FY 2026 CoC Competition and Renewal Program Grants, and to submit applications for one continuing CoC project and one new application as follows:
a) CoC Coordinated Entry System renewal grant; and
b) CoC Coordinated Entry Expansion grant (new submission);
3) Authorize the HHSA Director, or Chief Assistant Director, to accept funding for the FY 2026 Competition and Renewal Program Grants, if awarded, and to execute the resulting funding agreements in the estimated total amount of $160,797, and an estimated total match requirement of $40,199.25, with all match funds to be met through an in-kind match of existing services or Board-approved grant funding, with any amounts over these estimated amounts to not impact Net County Cost and all match included in the FY 2026-27 Budget, with agreement terms up to two years for each project; and
4) Authorize the HHSA Director, or Chief Assistant Director, to execute future amendments to these agreements 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% federal HUD funding with a required 25% match contribution which will be met through an in-kind match of existing services or existing Board-approved grant funding.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Pursuant to Title 24, Code of Federal Regulations part 578, the CoC Program is designed to promote a community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; to provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, states, Indian tribes or tribally designated housing entities, and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals, families, persons fleeing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and youth while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused by homelessness; to promote access to and effective utilization of mainstream programs by homeless individuals and families, and to optimize self-sufficiency among those experiencing homelessness.
The EDOK CoC is the regional CoC that works closely with community stakeholders, including the County, in the provision of the CoC program, and has designated HHSA to serve as its Administrative Entity (AE). The Board authorized this designation under Resolution 194-2024 (Legistar file 24-0782). As the AE, HHSA coordinates various HHSA and CoC joint and collaborative funding applications, funding agreements, and administers said funding (federal and state) to community providers. The PHA, administered by HHSA, serves as the Collaborative Applicant for the annual CoC Competition and Renewal Program Grants, and has been awarded CoC program funding since 2019.
On June 1, 2026, HUD issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the FY 2026 CoC Competition and Renewal Program Grants. The NOFO allows the Project Applicant to renew or to propose new multiple single project activity applications. This year the PHA plans to submit project applications for the CES grant, an existing project that has been awarded and accepted by the Board since 2019. The PHA also intends to apply for a new project in the CoC funding category, which, if awarded, will expand its CES project. Per the NOFO, the original application deadline was 8 PM Eastern Standard Time on August 26, 2026.
On August 7, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island determined HUD’s issuance of its NOFO violated the Administrative Procedure Act and vacated it. HHSA held off on bringing this item to the Board to determine the best path forward once more information was known. On September 16, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit granted HUD an emergency stay pending appeal of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island’s ruling to vacate HUD’s FY 2026 CoC NOFO. On September 18, 2026, HUD reopened the NOFO and updated the application deadline to 8 PM Eastern Standard Time on September 30, 2026.
The estimated awards for each project, each with individual agreements that will need to be executed with HUD, are as follows:
1. CES grant: Estimated in the amount of $25,745, with a required 25% match in the estimated amount of $6,436.25. The CES funding is used to operate 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 of California, 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.
2. CoC Coordinated Entry Expansion grant: Estimated not to exceed $135,052, with a required 25% match in the estimated amount of $33,763. This project will expand the current CES project activities and will be rolled into the CES grant agreement, if awarded.
While Board 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, including those with required matching funds, 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 or Chief Assistant Director to execute the resulting funding agreements to ensure that HHSA can execute the grant agreement(s) in the required timelines.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could decline to grant authority to the HHSA Director or Chief Assistant Director to accept the grant funding awards, in which case, the PHA would not be eligible to receive the funding. This funding supports the CoC’s Coordinated Entry System operation, which is a required component by HUD. If the PHA did not receive these funds, alternative funding would need to be identified to meet this federal and state mandated system. Additionally, the Board could decline to grant authority to the HHSA Director or Chief Assistant Director to execute the resulting agreements, at which point HHSA would bring the agreements before the Board prior to execution, which may interfere with HHSA’s ability to meet HUD’s expected turnaround time for execution of these agreements.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
09/20/2022 Legistar file 22-1487, HHSA 2022 Continuum of Care Coordinated Entry System Activity Grant
09/12/2023 Legistar file 23-1469, HHSA FY23 Continuum of Care Coordinated Entry Grant
10/08/2024 Legistar file 24-1343, HHSA Fiscal Year 2024 & 2025 Continuum of Care Competition and Renewal Program Grants
11/12/2024 Legistar file 24-0782, HHSA Continuum of Care Administrative Entity Resolution
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
EDOK CoC (County Counsel and Risk Management will be asked to review and approve any awarded funding agreements issued by HUD for these grants)
CAO RECOMMENDATION
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no Net County Cost associated with this agenda item. The required estimated total match of $40,199.25 will be met using in-kind services or Board-approved grant funding received by HHSA. Funding under these agreements have been included in the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget and will be included in subsequent budgets as applicable.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
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