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Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Accept a non-competitive California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Housing Support Program (HSP) funding allocation, administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), for the term upon acceptance through June 30, 2025, in the estimated amount of $1,778,292;
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 total funding allocation beyond $2,100,000, to allow for the CDSS redistribution of unspent statewide HSP funds, contingent upon County Counsel approval, including required fiscal and programmatic reports.
FUNDING: Federal and State: 89% Federal, 11% State General Fund revenue, authorized pursuant to the Budget Act of 2022 appropriated for the CalWORKs Housing Support Program. No matching funds are required.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
The California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Housing Support Program (HSP) is administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and provides non-competitive funding to county and tribal jurisdictions to provide evidence-based housing interventions, including homelessness prevention services and/or the core components of rapid rehousing, to eligible CalWORKs recipients experiencing or at risk of homelessness, in accordance with California Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section 11330.5(c). CalWORKs is a public assistance program that provides cash aid and services to eligible families that have at least one child in the home. Further, all state-funded housing programs, including HSP, operate in accordance with the core components of Housing First as enumerated in WIC Section 8255.
The HSP identifies and targets the whole population of families in the CalWORKs Program experiencing homelessness regardless of housing and income barriers. All CalWORKs recipient families are eligible to be served through HSP. Program service types include: Rapid Rehousing Core Components such as housing identification, rent and move-in assistance, and case management; and preventative services that can include assistance with rent or utility payments, late fee payments, first month’s rent and/or security deposits, landlord mediation, repairs, connection to housing stabilization services, habitability/accessibility improvements, and housing navigation.
In October of 2015 (File ID: 15-1396), the El Dorado County (County) Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) received its first award of CalWORKs HSP funding and has received the funding each subsequent year thereafter. HSP is funded from federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding and State General Fund, to serve TANF-eligible families experiencing homelessness. The HSP funding allocation was initially received through the CDSS branch administering the CalWORKs program, however the program is currently administered by the CDSS Housing and Homelessness Programs branch. This is the new CDSS branch responsible for the program development and oversight of statewide housing programs funded by the CDSS, including HSP.
Under the Budget Act of 2022, a total of $285 million in federal and State of California (State) General Funds was appropriated to California counties and tribes for CalWORKs HSP in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23. In the recent County Welfare Director Letter (ACWDL) dated September 21, 2022, CDSS provides notice to counties and tribes in the State of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 award for all non-competitive statewide housing programs funded by CDSS, which describes counties as “HSP grantees”. Based on that new description, HHSA is recommending Board acceptance of the annual County FY 2022-23 HSP funding allocation to ensure HHSA is meeting the requirements of Board Policy A-6 for the acceptance of the award.
The non-competitive FY 2022-23 HSP allocation for the County HHSA, Social Services Division Self Sufficiency programs, is estimated to be $1,778,292. As outlined in the ACWDL, county estimated HSP funding allocations are subject to increase if other counties do not accept the funding already allocated to them by the CDSS. Consequently, HHSA is requesting the Board of Supervisors authorize acceptance of the HSP allocation not to exceed $2,100,000. This additional allocation requires no matching funds for the term of acceptance through June 30, 2025.
To accept this allocation, HHSA Social Services Division Self Sufficiency programs must submit a signed Director’s Certification notifying CDSS of its intent to accept additional HSP funds no later than November 2, 2022.
Utilizing the HSP allocation, HHSA Self Sufficiency programs will continue to provide new and enhanced service provisions during FY 2022-23. To accomplish that goal, HSP services shall include, but shall not be limited to, housing-related case management, housing navigation, housing-related direct financial assistance, and housing stabilization services intended to stabilize CalWORKs families who are experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness.
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 estimated $1,778,292 in funds to support families receiving CalWORKs HSP services. As a result, eligible County CalWORKs clients may not receive housing stability services and clients who are currently receiving housing supports will be discontinued from the program.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
12/15/2015, File ID 15-1396, CalWORKs Housing Support Program Budget Transfer Request
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel approved the HSP Director’s Certification.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
HSP is funded by federal and State General Fund and does not have a match requirement. There is no impact to County General Fund. HHSA has included the HSP allocation in the FY 2022-23 Budget and will include HSP 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