Title
Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Accept the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program funding for the period January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024, in the estimated amount of $62,897 in support of the El Dorado County Public Housing Authority (PHA); and
2) Delegate authority to the HHSA Director, or HHSA Chief Assistant Director, to execute the resulting FSS Grant Agreement, and any amendments thereto, 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% Federal Funding administered by HUD; no matching funds are required.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
On May 17, 2022, HUD published the Final Rule implementing the changes to the FSS program, which issues funding to Public Housing Authorities for the provision of the program. The FSS program funding, originally implemented in 1990, supports HUD’s goal of increasing economic opportunity for HUD-assisted families. The FSS Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) was released by HUD on October 3, 2022, and was applicable to two years of funding, if appropriated. On September 20, 2022, in accordance with the NOFA, HHSA applied for the FSS grant covering Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 and FY 2023 in tandem.
Eligible costs include the payment of salary and fringe benefits of full-time and part-time FSS program coordinators. The El Dorado County PHA has received FSS program funding for multiple years and uses this funding to pay for a position within the PHA that provides services to the eligible families, consistent with the intent of the program.
In prior years, Board authorization for the acceptance and administration of this funding has been included as a part of a resolution for continuous funding, most recently approved through Resolution 096-2022, approved by the Board on June 28, 2022 (Legistar 22-0695). However, FSS program funding was not included in the 2023 resolution due to changes in the HUD processing requirements from the prior application period, which resulted in uncertainty over whether the funds would be received.
As expected, the FY 2022 FSS Grant Agreement did not become available for execution until late 2023, resulting in the PHA being unable to expend the funds prior to the expenditure deadline of December 31, 2023. Therefore, the PHA chose not to pursue the acceptance and execution of the FY 2022 FSS Grant Agreement.
In preparation to receive the FY 2023 FSS program Grant Agreement from HUD in a timely fashion this year, the PHA is requesting Board accept said funding and authorize the HHSA Director to execute the resulting Grant Agreement, and any amendments thereto, that do not increase Net County Cost, contingent on County Counsel and Risk Management approval. Going forward, HHSA will include the FSS funding on its annual Revenue Agreement Resolution that it brings to the Board every year.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to approve this recommendation, the County PHA would be ineligible to participate in the FSS program and would not receive the grant award in the estimated amount of $62,897. Consequently, the PHA would need to seek alternate funding to support the personnel costs of a Housing Program Specialist position within the PHA that provides services to families in need of housing assistance.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
1) 08/04/20, 20-1028, HHSA HUD FSS Application
2) 05/11/21, 21-0669, HHSA 2021-22 Signature Authority Delegation Resolution
3) 06/28/22, 22-0695, HHSA FY 2022-23 Annual Signature Authority
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
N/A
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with this Agenda item. This funding was included in the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget and will be included in future budgets for the term of the Grant Agreement.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Healthy Communities
CONTACT
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Director, Health and Human Services Agency