Title
Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Authorize the submission of a grant application to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for the 2021 Continuum of Care Coordinated Entry System Project Activity grant, in the estimated amount of $20,987, and including a match requirement of $5,247 that will be met through existing grant funding received by the Housing and Homelessness Services programs;
2) If awarded, authorize the HHSA Director, acting as the Collaborative Applicant on behalf of the El Dorado Opportunity Knocks Continuum of Care, to execute the funding agreement, effective upon execution of the contract with a one-year term contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management;
3) Authorize the HHSA Director to administer any agreement or subsequent administrative documents related to said award, including any required fiscal and programmatic reports as well as any amendments to the agreement that do not increase the total award or term of the agreement; and
4) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign the attached Budget Transfer Request increasing revenue and appropriations by $20,897 for Fiscal Year 2021-22 for the grant award.
FUNDING: Federal funding awarded by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the estimated amount of $20,897, with a required match contribution of $5,247.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
The El Dorado County Public Housing Authority, as part of the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), is designated by the El Dorado Opportunity Knocks Continuum of Care (CoC) to serve as the Collaborative Applicant and Administrative Entity for the CoC. In this role, the Public Housing Authority submits annual consolidated applications for Continuum of Care funding on behalf of and in support of the CoC.
On August 19, 2021, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Continuum of Care (CoC) Competition and Non-Competition Award. The NOFO allows the County to propose multiple single project activity applications, including an application for the CoC Coordinated Entry System (CES) Project Grant in the estimated amount of $20,987. This funding requires a match of $5,247, which will be met with other existing grant funds received by the Housing and Homeless Services programs. The CES funding is to be used to expand 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, 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.
While Board of Supervisors (BOS) 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 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 to execute the resulting funding agreement from this grant, contingent upon County Counsel and Risk Management approval, to ensure that HHSA can execute the grant agreement in the required timeline. HHSA is recommending the Board approve the Chair to sign the attached Budget Transfer Request (Attachment C) to increase revenue and appropriations by $20,987 for Fiscal Year 2021-22.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could decline to apply for and accept the funding award, in which case, the Continuum of Care would not be eligible to receive the funding award. This would reduce the level of coordinated entry services available to local residents in need of housing related services.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel and Risk Management
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with this Agenda item. The required match of $5,247 will be met using existing grant funding received by the Housing and Homeless Services programs. The budget transfer requested with this item will increase revenue and appropriations by $20,987 in the Fiscal Year 2021-22 Budget in Community Services.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) Obtain signature of Chair on the attached Budget Transfer Request (BTR); and
2) Submit the BTR to the Chief Administrative Office for further processing.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Healthy Communities
CONTACT
Don Semon, Director