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Health and Human Services Agency recommending the Board adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 166-2019, revising the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Authorized Personnel Allocation Resolution for the Health and Human Services Agency, adding 1.0 FTE Housing Program Specialist I/II - Limited Term, related to the efforts of the Continuum of Care as funded by the California Emergency Solutions and Housing grant.
FUNDING: 100% California Emergency Solutions and Housing Program Grant.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Senate Bill 850 enacted the California Emergency Solutions and Housing (CESH) program, which was signed into law by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. on June 27, 2018. A notice of funding availability for CESH was announced on August 15, 2018, providing grant funding to administrative entities (AEs) across California with the intent of assisting persons who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness. On October 16, 2018, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 221-2018 designating HHSA as the Administrative Entity for purposes of the CESH grant (File ID: 18-1522). The fully executed funding Agreement #18-CESH-12458 between the State and County was received by Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) September 6, 2019.
As Continuums of Care (CoC) are technical in nature and have many unfunded mandates, the local CoC Board discussed the need to focus available CESH funding on supporting CoC administrative requirements, strategic planning, and improved access for local homeless to CoC services. From this discussion, one of the three priorities was to fund the operations of the Coordinated Entry System.
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuums of Care are responsible for administering Coordinated Entry Systems (CES), which provide county-wide intake into homeless housing programs, however no federal funds are obligated to meet this mandate. Using donated funds, El Dorado Opportunity Knocks Continuum of Care processed a Request for Proposals (RFP) in January 2017 seeking interested CoC partners to administer Coordinated Entry. Only Kindness and Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (Tahoe Coalition) submitted a joint response to provide Coordinated Entry System services for the CoC, and were the only respondents to that RFP process. Subsequently, on April 5, 2019, Only Kindness notified the CoC Board that they will no longer offer Coordinated Entry Services on behalf of the CoC, leaving Tahoe Coalition as the single provider for El Dorado County. Since that time Tahoe Coalition has successfully administered the intake process on behalf of the CoC; Tahoe Coalition has unique expertise and is positioned to offer these services to bolster Coordinated Entry Services to vulnerable residents for at least the next 3 years.
Although Tahoe Coalition will continue to be the lead agency in providing CES services, due to their location in South Lake Tahoe they have experienced challenges in staffing CES services on the west slope, due to the large geographic area. However, the CoC is required to ensure County-wide equal access to Coordinated Entry.
To ensure compliance with CoC requirements for the operation of a Coordinated Entry System, HHSA is recommending the addition of a Housing Program Specialist I/II-Limited Term (HPS) allocation to the Agency's personnel allocation. As indicated, the position will be limited term, for one year, and funded through the CESH grant. The Housing Program Specialist will coordinate activities with Tahoe Coalition to provide CES services including but not limited to providing information about resources and available services through both the County and community groups; maintaining files and data including the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS); conducting interviews with homeless individuals for housing and services, both in an office and through conducting outreach, by utilizing the HMIS System and CoC's approved Vulnerability Index Tool; and establishing liaison with co-workers, community groups, government agencies and other entities to ensure maximum usefulness of programs.
This Limited Term position will be funded by 2018 CESH grant funding.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to adopt the proposed Personnel Allocation Resolution, resulting in staffing challenges to support Coordinated Entry Systems on the West Slope.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel, Human Resources
CAO RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no Net County Cost associated with the addition of this personnel allocation. Sufficient funding for the position is accounted for in the FY 2019-20 Recommended Budget, which was considered and approved by the Board on June 17, 2019. If the Board authorizes this personnel allocation, a line item budget transfer in the amount of $102,399 (attached for reference) will be processed to move funds from the Professional and Specialized Services Object (4300) to Class 30 for Salaries and Benefits and Class 50 for Indirect Costs. Because this budget transfer does not increase the total appropriations within the budget unit, Board of Supervisors approval is not required and the Chief Administrative Officer will execute the transfer based on delegated authority.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Upon Board adoption and approval, please provide a fully executed copy of the Resolution to Katie Lee in Human Resources.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Good Governance
CONTACT
Don Semon, Director, Health and Human Services Agency
Tameka Usher, Director of Human Resources