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Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 187-2023 authorizing the County to accept the California Department of Housing and Community Development Transitional Housing Program (THP) Round 5 Allocation Award in the amount of $193,140, if additional funding is available up to $386,280, and the Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program (HNMP) Round 2 Allocation Award in the amount of $51,581, if additional funding is available up to $103,162; and
2) Approve and authorize the HHSA Director, or the HHSA Chief Assistant Director, to execute the resulting funding agreements for both THP Round 5 and HNMP Round 2, and any subsequent amendments that do not increase Net County Cost, contingent upon County Counsel and Risk Management approval, and subsequent administrative documents or required fiscal or programmatic reports.
FUNDING: 100% State of California Department of Housing and Community Development funding; no matching funds are required.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
The State of California Housing and Community Development (HCD) allocates funding to counties for the purpose of housing stability to help young adults ages 18 to 24 years of age, through the following programs:
Transitional Housing Program:
For the Transitional Housing Program (THP), pursuant to Item 2240-102-0001 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2022, (Chapter 249 of the Statutes of 2022) and Chapter 11.7 (commencing with Section 50807) of Part 2 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code (HSC), HCD shall allocate funding to counties for the provision of THP services. Funds shall be used to help young adults, who are 18 to 24 years of age, secure and maintain housing with priority given to young adults formerly in the state's foster care or probation systems. Use of funds may include but are not limited to: 1) identifying and assisting housing services for this population in the community; 2) assisting this population to secure and maintain housing; 3) improving coordination of services and linkages to community resources within the child welfare system and the Homeless Continuum of Care; and 4) Providing engagement in outreach and targeting to serve those with the most severe needs.
Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program:
For the Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program (HNMP), pursuant to Item 2240-103-0001 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2022 (Chapter 43 of the Statutes of 2022) and Chapter 11.8 (commencing with Section 50811) of Part 2 of Division 31 of the HSC, HCD shall allocate funding to counties for the provision of HNMP services. The program funds housing navigators who will act as a housing specialist to assist young adults with their pursuits of locating available housing and overcoming barriers to locating housing. Housing navigation and maintenance activities may include, but are not limited to: 1) assisting young adults aged 18 to 24 years of age secure and maintain housing, with priority access given to young adults in the state's foster care system; 2) providing housing case management which include essential services in emergency supports to foster youth; 3) preventing young adults from becoming homeless; and 4) improving coordination of services and linkages to key resources across the community including those from within the child welfare system and the local Continuum of Care.
On October 19, 2023, HCD provided HHSA with Allocation Acceptance Forms providing the County the opportunity to apply to and accept allocations from HCD for THP Round 5 in the amount of $193,140, and for HMNP Round 2 in the amount of $51,581. As required by HCD, HHSA submitted these signed Allocation Acceptance Forms to meet their tight November 17, 2023, return deadline.
Subsequently, HCD requires our County’s governing board to sign a Resolution that authorizes the HHSA Director, or in their absence, the HHSA Chief Assistant Director, to accept the allocations for both THP Round 5 and HNMP Round 2 and authorizes these individuals to execute the resulting funding agreement (which combines both allocations) and any future amendments. Further, HCD recommends that counties receive Board authorization to accept double the amount of the current allocations if additional funding becomes available to either or both housing stability programs. Accordingly, the Resolution authorizes HHSA Director to accept additional funds up to $386,280 for THP Round 5 and up to $103,162 for HNMP Round 2, and to execute subsequent amendments to the agreements thereto.
Beginning in 2020, HHSA was allocated funding for four previous rounds of THP. The first three rounds received $32,000 each, while in Round 4, the award saw a significant increase to $202,585 (20-0523, 20-1070, 21-1545). In 2023, the County was awarded $54,882 in Round 1 of the HNMP from HCD (22-2183).
HHSA Child Protective Services partners with local vendors to provide housing stability services under the THP and HNMP programs and will maintain this collaboration with local vendors to provide continued THP/HNMP housing stability services to help young adult clients throughout El Dorado County.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to approve the THP or HNMP funding allocations, HHSA will not be awarded the funding to support young adults who have gone through the foster care system in securing and maintaining housing.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
1) 05/12/20, 20-0523, Transitional Housing Program Resolution 083-2020
2) 10/06/20, 20-1070, Transitional Housing Program Round 2 Resolution 150-2020
3) 11/09/21, 21-1545, Transitional Housing Program Round 3 Resolution 139-2021
4) 01/03/23, 22-2183, HHSA Transitional Housing Program Round 4 & Housing Navigator and Maintenance Program Round 1
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Approved by County Counsel.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no General Fund cost associated with this Agenda item. Sufficient appropriations were included in the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget for the THP Round 5 and the HNMP Round 2 funding and will be included in future budgets for the term of the funding agreement.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) Clerk of the Board to obtain signature of Chair on one (1) original Resolution.
2) Clerk of the Board to return one (1) executed Resolution to hhsa-grants@edgov.us
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Healthy Communities
CONTACT
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Director, Health and Human Services Agency