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CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
City of Anaheim
HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT
DATE: AUGUST 26, 2025
FROM: HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF THE HOMELESS HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND PREVENTION PROGRAM (HHAP) ROUND 6 REGIONAL
APPLICATION
ATTACHMENT (Y/N): YES ITEM # 04
GOVERNMENT CODE § 84308 APPLIES: NO
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council, by Motion, approve the Regional Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention Program Round 6 grant application, in substantial form, and related documents, for submission to the State of California Housing and Community Development Department; authorize the Housing and Community Development Director, or her designee, to modify the application and related documents as needed, provided that any such modifications do not materially change the purpose or scope of the submission; and if awarded, increase the Housing and Community Development Department’s revenue and expenditures budget commensurate with the grant award; and authorize the Housing and Community Development Director, or her designee, to accept the grant, execute required grant documents, and take all other actions necessary to implement grant activities.
DISCUSSION:
The State of California Housing and Community Development Department (State HCD) has released a sixth round of Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Program funding to implement homelessness reduction activities throughout the State. HHAP funding is the result of continued advocacy efforts on the part of the Big Cities Mayor’s Coalition, a collaboration of the leaders from the State's 14 largest cities who work together to champion the most crucial issues Californians face. At this time, the Fiscal Year 2026/2027 state budget includes $500 million in HHAP Round 7 funding; however, it is conditioned upon increased accountability, including the requirement to maintain a compliant housing element, adopting encampment policies aligned with state guidance, and the reallocation of funds if specific system performance measures are not met.
While HHAP Round 6 funding has been earmarked specifically for Anaheim, receipt of funding is contingent upon the submission of a regional application between the cities of Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Irvine; the County of Orange; and the Orange County Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention Program Round 6 Application August 26, 2025
Continuum of Care. The joint application requires that the collaborative entities build upon the HHAP Rounds 1-5 regional efforts to address homelessness across the county.
State Requirements for the Application
HHAP 6 is distinguished from prior funding applications by new requirements for jurisdictions to demonstrate that sufficient resources are available to sustain existing affordable housing and existing interim shelter, and that fifty (50) percent of the allocation is used for housing solutions (i.e. permanent housing, prevention, interim housing). Additionally, disbursement of the second half of the HHAP Round 6 disbursement is contingent upon the region's progress toward three of six system performance measures mandated in the regional application.
While entities may submit separate budgets for their specific funding allocations, all entities must work together to complete an application that reflects the region’s efforts to address homelessness. This includes outlining all available funding sources and investments to address homelessness; identifying system performance measures, including strategies for achieving quantifiable goals and target dates; key actions to address racial disparities; and strategies to reduce the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
As required by the HHAP Round 6 Notice of Funding Availability, the region held three listening sessions to garner feedback and help inform the development of the application.
City staff worked with the collaborative entities to coordinate meetings to research and identify relevant information, compile and write narratives, and complete the application. Among the stakeholders invited to the listening sessions were homeless service providers, affordable housing developers, residents, people with lived experience, victim services providers, small jurisdiction leaders, managed care plans, and federally recognized tribal governments.
Public meetings were held across the County on the following dates and times:
City of Santa Ana Community Listening Session
Date: Monday, July 7, 2025
Time: 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Delhi Community Center
Address: 505 E. Central Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92707
City of Anaheim Community Listening Session
Date: Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Time: 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Anaheim West Tower, 2nd Floor - Gordon Hoyt Conference Room Address: 201 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92805
County of Orange & Orange County CoC Community Listening Session Date: Thursday, July 10, 2025
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Location: County Administration South (CAS) Building Conference Center Address: 425 West Santa Ana Boulevard, Room 104/106, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention Program Round 6 Application August 26, 2025
Priorities identified from community feedback include:
Concerted effort to increase the supply of affordable and permanent supportive housing especially along the Beach Boulevard corridor
Homeless prevention programs for at-risk households
Interventions to decrease the length of time people experience homelessness Increased focused on the production of affordable housing including emphasis on inclusionary housing
Short-term to medium-term rental subsidies
Interventions that address the number of deaths related to unsheltered homelessness
The HHAP Round 6 application also requires the collaborative entities to produce a regional Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) per state directive, to ensure all parties coordinate homelessness response efforts and investments, whenever possible. This requirement was fulfilled during the HHAP Round 5 application period with the execution of a compliant MOU that was brought before all applicable governing bodies.
This MOU is still in effect covering the periods from June 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
City of Anaheim Funding Allocation
Utilizing the verified 2024 Point-in-Time Count from the Housing and Urban Development Department and general population numbers, the State of California Housing and Community Development has allocated $5,947,854.53 to the City of Anaheim in HHAP Round 6 funds. Based on existing contract obligations and community feedback, city staff have completed the attached proposed funding plan for the City of Anaheim. The proposed spending plan (Attachment 2) presented in the application (Attachment 1) is subject to state approval and adjustments based on needs identified during the planning period. Future adjustments can be made to address urgent needs through a grant budget modification with the state. Contracted services through this grant will be brought before the City Council for approval before funds are committed to final activities.
The proposed regional application, in substantial form, is also attached for review.
Elements of the application, largely individual funding plans from each entitled entity, are still being finalized; however, the application, less these funding plans, is complete.
The HHAP Round 6 application is due on August 29, 2025, with the Orange County Continuum of Care being the submitting entity for the region.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
If grant funds are awarded, the Housing & Community Development Department’s revenue and expenditures budget will be increased commensurate with the grant funds received.
Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention Program Round 6 Application August 26, 2025
Respectfully submitted,
Grace Ruiz-Stepter
Housing & Community Development Director
Attachments:
1. Draft Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention Round 6 Application
2. Draft City of Anaheim Homeless Assistance and Prevention Program Round 6 Funding Plan