Title Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board authorize HHSA to submit the local homelessness action plan application template to the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council (HCFC) by June 30, 2022, as required for the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Round 3 (HHAP-3) joint application by the County of El Dorado and the El Dorado Opportunity Knocks Continuum of Care (CoC), as approved by the Board on November 16, 2021. The action plan template was developed in collaboration with the CoC in alignment with the Countywide 5-year Homeless Strategic Plan (File ID: 22-0294), and includes: a local landscape analysis of needs; demographics; funding; and the homeless prevention goals, strategies, and outcomes proposed through the 5-year Homeless Strategic Plan.
FUNDING: State funding authorized pursuant to California Assembly Bill 140, signed into law by Governor Newsom on July 19, 2021.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
On November 16, 2021, the Board adopted Resolution No. 150-2021 (File ID: 21-1720) authorizing the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) to continue to serve as the Administrative Entity for the El Dorado Opportunity Knocks Continuum of Care (CoC) for the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Round 3 (HHAP-3) Program, and authorized the County of El Dorado (County) and the CoC to submit a joint application to the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency’s Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council (HCFC) in the estimated amount of $2,273,779.01, which includes an approximate $500,000 potential third bonus disbursement, if the HHAP-3 outcome goals outlined in the local homelessness action plan application template (attachment b, table 4) are achieved by the County and the CoC.
By submitting a Standard Agreement to Apply for HHAP-3 funds, applicants became eligible for an initial disbursement of HHAP-3 funds, and they were obligated to submit an application and local homeless application plan once the HHAP-3 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) was released. HHSA submitted the required Standard Agreement to Apply for the initial HHAP-3 funding disbursement of $443,445 to the HCFC on October 14, 2021. Thereafter, on January 28, 2022, HHSA was awarded the initial disbursement and the HHSA Director executed Standard Agreement No. 22-HHAP-10058 with HCFC, to be expended in accordance with the California Health and Safety Code 50220.7(a) to fund the cost of completing the required homelessness action plan or for systems improvement.
In December 2021, the HCFC released the NOFA for the remaining HHAP-3 grant funds. As detailed in the NOFA, the application process for these funds require joint applicants to complete a local homeless action plan with specific outcome goals related to homeless prevention and response. The homeless action plan application template required HHSA, in collaboration with the CoC, to identify homeless prevention goals and strategies which would be memorialized in a multi-year strategic plan. On February 22, 2022 (File ID 22-0294) members of EDOK presented the strategic plan to the Board of Supervisors, which has been confirmed as meeting the requirements of HHAP-3.
As advised in the NOFA, Counties and CoCs participating in the HHAP-3 funding program can utilize the needs analysis and strategies developed in their Community’s 5-year Homeless Strategic Plan to create outcome goals for progress for preventing and reducing homelessness over the 3-year period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2024 for achieving the following:
1) Reducing the number of persons experiencing homelessness;
2) Reducing the number of persons who become homeless for the first time;
3) Increasing the number of people exiting homelessness into permanent housing;
4) Reducing the length of time persons remain homeless;
5) Reducing the number of persons who return to homelessness after exiting homelessness to permanent housing;
6) Increasing successful placements from street outreach; and
7) Trackable data goals related to the outcome goals as they apply to underserved populations and populations disproportionately impacted by homelessness.
The outcomes goals are not intended to be related to HHAP-3-funded activities alone, but rather to represent jurisdictional or system-wide goals for measuring progress on preventing and ending homelessness through the implementation of the full range of federal, state, and local funding sources and County and CoC proposed strategies and activities. The HCFC provided the County and CoC jurisdiction with base line system performance measures, which are consistent with Federal performances measures that CoC's utilize to track system perform. This application template is required to be submitted to the HCFC by June 30, 2022, in order for the County and the CoC’s joint HHAP-3 request for remaining HHAP-3 funding to be considered.
HHAP-3 Program funds, not including the initial disbursement, must be expended on evidence-based solutions that address and prevent homelessness among eligible populations. Allowable activities include any of those identified in California Health and Safety Code Section 50220.7(e)(1-9), including: rapid rehousing; rental subsidies and incentives to landlords, such as security deposits and holding fees; operating subsidies, including operating reserves; navigation centers; street outreach to assist persons experiencing homelessness to access permanent housing and services; services coordination, which may include access to workforce, education, and training programs, or other services needed to promote housing stability in supportive housing; systems support for activities necessary to create regional partnerships and maintain a homeless services and housing delivery system, particularly for vulnerable populations, including families and homeless youth; delivery of permanent housing and innovative housing solutions, such as hotel and motel conversion; prevention and shelter diversion to permanent housing, including rental subsidies; interim sheltering, limited to newly developed clinically enhanced congregate shelters, new or existing non-congregate shelters, and operations of existing navigation centers and shelters based on demonstrated need; and improvements to existing emergency shelters to lower barriers and increase privacy.
HHSA intends to use HHAP-3 funding to continue to fund system supports necessary for the delivery of local homeless services, technical assistance related to homeless programs and grant opportunities, and for the implementation of activities identified in the 5-year Countywide Homeless Strategic Plan presented to the Board on February 22, 2022 (File ID: 22-0294).
HHSA is recommending the Board approve the submission of the local action plan and proposed homeless prevention outcome goals application template as required by the HCFC for applicants of the HHAP-3 NOFA.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to approve this application template, both the County and CoC would fail to complete all requirements necessary to participate in the HHAP-3 Program, and as a result, neither entity would receive this additional program funding to pay for service providers in the Community.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
1) March 8, 2022, File ID 22-0404, Agenda No. 9, Supervisors Parlin and Thomas feedback on an EDOK draft 5-year Homeless Strategic Plan
2) February 22, 2022, File ID 22-0294, Agenda No. 34, HHSA Receive and File EDOK 5-Year Homeless Strategic Plan
3) November 16, 2021, File ID 21-1720, Agenda No. 20, HHSA HHAP Grant Round 3 Application and Funding Agreement, and Resolution 150-2021
4) July 13, 2021, File ID 21-1000, Agenda No. 11, HHSA Grant Round 2 Funding Agreement
5) February 11, 2021, File ID 20-0161, Agenda No.10, HHSA HHAP Application, and Resolution 023-2020
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
El Dorado Opportunity Knocks Continuum of Care
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Prior HHAP grants have limited the use of available funding for administrative costs to no more than seven percent (7%) of the total allocation, which could equate up to an estimated amount of between $124,165 and $159,165 for the administration of the grant, dependent on eligibility to the bonus funding. HHSA has established controls to monitor costs of funding administration. There is no Net County Cost associated with this Agenda item and this funding is included in the Fiscal Year 2022-23 Recommended Budget.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
No follow up action items needed.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Healthy Communities
CONTACT
Daniel Del Monte, Interim Director