ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: July 9, 2025 AGENDA CATEGORY: Consent - Agreements TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Jennifer M. Byers, Economic and Community Development Department Director DATE: June 26, 2025
SUBJECT: Memorandum of Understanding with Bakersfield Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative and County of Kern
for regional coordination of Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program Round 6 Application (HHAP)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the Memorandum of Understanding.
BACKGROUND:
The California Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) announced the availability of Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program Round 6 (HHAP-6) grant funding in February, 2025. On July 2, 2024, Governor Newsom approved HHAP-6, a $1 billion block grant program authorized by Assembly Bill (AB) 166, and passed by the Legislature. The County of Kern was allocated $3,045,569.61, the City of Bakersfield was allocated $6,504,298.17; and the Bakersfield Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative (BKRHC) was allocated $3,252,720.70 for a total of $12,802,588.48 for the region.
HHAP-6 requires submittal of an approved Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that provides identification and analysis of the specific roles and responsibilities of each participating jurisdiction in the region regarding outreach and site coordination, siting and use of available land, the development of shelter, interim, and permanent housing options, and the coordination and connection to the delivery of services to individuals experiencing homelessness, or at risk of experiencing homelessness, within the region.
The attached MOU establishes the framework through which the County, City, and BKRHC will collaborate on the Regionally Coordinated HHAP-6 Program and to articulate the specific objectives of the partnership, as well as the roles and responsibilities of each party to accomplish those objectives.
The objectives of this MOU is to allow the Parties to engage in discussion, collaborate, and identify activities of mutual interest on the Regionally Coordinated HHAP-6 Program and Regionally Coordinated Homelessness Action Plan, and where appropriate and as mutually agreed upon, to jointly apply for the HHAP-6 Grant Program through HCD, with each party entering into a separate agreement with the State of California. This MOU must be signed by each participating applicant and submitted along with the HHAP-6 application. Regions are encouraged to update these MOUs to reflect any subsequent updates or revisions in their Action Plans through the duration of their HHAP-6 grant.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no impact to the General Fund.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Safety and Resilience
ATTACHMENT:
MOU between the County of Kern, City of Bakersfield, and Bakersfield Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative