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Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Accept a non-competitive Home Safe Program funding allocation administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), for the term upon acceptance through June 30, 2025, in the amount of $394,567;
2) Approve and authorize the HHSA Director to sign the attached Director’s Certification, required for submission to the CDSS to accept this allocation; and
3) Delegate authority to the HHSA Director, or HHSA Chief Assistant Director, to execute and administer any subsequent administrative documents relating to said award that do not increase the amount or term, contingent upon County Counsel approval, including required fiscal and programmatic reports.
FUNDING: 100% State General Fund revenue, authorized pursuant to the Budget Act of 2022 appropriated for the Home Safe Program. No matching funds are required.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
Each California county has an Adult Protective Services (APS) program to help elder adults (60 years and older) and dependent adults (aged 18-59 and with a disability) who are unable to meet their own needs, or are victims of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation.
The Home Safe Program is administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and provides non-competitive funding to county and tribal APS jurisdictions to provide safety, housing stability, and homelessness prevention services to clients served by Adult Protective Services. The CDSS requires Home Safe grantees to consult with their broader homelessness response system as they develop and implement the Home Safe Program in their community. Home Safe Programs should serve participants until housing stability is reached or a connection to longer-term permanent housing is made, which may require short, medium, or long-term supports depending on the individual’s needs. Grantees operating local Home Safe Programs can utilize a range of strategies to prevent homelessness and increase housing stability for APS clients, consistent with Housing First Principles that address and prevent homelessness among eligible adults being served or going through intake by local APS jurisdictions, including but not limited to: housing-related case management, short-term housing related financial assistance, eviction prevention, landlord mediation, mental health services, and housing navigation services.
In accordance with the California Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section 15771(c)(2), APS programs participating in the Home Safe Program must assess each APS client’s housing needs to create an individualized case plan for meeting those needs, with the plan to be developed in coordination with a multidisciplinary team that may include housing program providers, mental health providers, local law enforcement, legal assistance providers, and others as deemed relevant by the APS agency. Accordingly, the County’s Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) APS program developed a letter of support and performed outreach in early 2022 with potential internal and external partnering agencies to identify parties interested in serving on a Home Safe multidisciplinary team in the County.
Prior County Accepted Allocation - Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-22:
On November 16, 2021 (File ID 21-1711), the Board accepted the initial Home Safe Program allocation and authorized the HHSA Director to sign and submit the Director’s Certification to CDSS, accepting funding in the amount of $394,567, with no match requirement, for the expenditure period of December 21, 2021 through June 30, 2024.
HHSA APS began the planning phase of the Home Safe Program this year and is currently developing the program service array. To encourage a broader homelessness response system, HHSA APS will perform secondary outreach to engage community and county-wide partners prior to implementation of the County Home Safe Program. HHSA's preliminary goal is to expand services in the Adult Protective Services program by providing housing-related supports to vulnerable APS clients. To accomplish this goal, the Home Safe Program plan for services shall include, but not be limited to, housing-related case management, housing navigation, housing-related direct financial assistance, and housing stabilization services intended to stabilize APS clients at-risk of homelessness.
Additional Allocation - FY 2022-23:
The State Budget Act of 2022 appropriated an additional $92.5 million in State General Funds, also match exempt, to counties and tribes for the Home Safe Program in FY 2022-23. Thereafter, the CDSS issued the All County Welfare Directors Letter (ACWDL) dated September 21, 2022, notifying county and tribal APS jurisdictions in the State of additional allocations available for the Home Safe Program in FY 2022-23.
As a continuing grantee, HHSA APS has the opportunity to accept the additional FY 2022-23 non-competitive Home Safe Program allocation in the amount of $394,567. This additional allocation requires no match funds for the term of acceptance through June 30, 2025. HHSA must submit a signed Director’s Certification notifying the CDSS of its intent to accept additional Home Safe Program funds no later than November 2, 2022.
Utilizing both Home Safe Program funding allocations, HHSA APS will provide new and enhanced service provisions with the program’s implementation planned for FY 2022-23.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to accept this non-competitive funding allocation or decline to authorize the HHSA Director to sign the attached Director’s Certification, the County will not receive the $394,567 in funds and HHSA will be unable to provide housing support and stabilization services to vulnerable clients assisted by the APS program.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
11/16/2021, File ID 21-1711, Board accepted a Home Safe allocation for FY 2021-22 and authorized the HHSA Director to sign/submit Director’s Certification
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel approved the Director’s Certification.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Home Safe is funded by State General Fund and does not have a match requirement. There is no impact to County General Fund. There are sufficient appropriations in the FY 2022-23 Budget and HHSA will include Home Safe in future budgets for the term of the funding allocation.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Healthy Communities, Improved Health, Well-being, and Self-sufficiency of El Dorado County communities, residents, and visitors.
CONTACT
Evelyn Schaeffer, Director, Health and Human Services Agency