ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: October 8, 2025 AGENDA CATEGORY: Public Safety Vital Services Measure TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Jennifer M. Byers, Economic & Community Development Director DATE: September 11, 2025
SUBJECT: Agreement with Flood Ministries (not to exceed $250,000) for the Community Vitality Family Reunification Initiative
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of agreement
BACKGROUND:
On July 7, 2025, the City of Bakersfield released a Request for Proposals (RFP) from qualified agencies to conduct outreach and implement the Community Vitality and Family Reunification (CVFR) Initiative, a diversion-based program that would facilitate reuniting individuals who are experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of experiencing homelessness, with family, friends, or other personal support networks by means of supportive services including but not limited to transportation. The CVFR Initiative aims to prevent and address homelessness in the region by improving strategic and efficient field responses to individuals in need of services and reducing the number of individuals who are discharged into homelessness from agencies such as incarceration institutions, medical facilities, and foster care. The initiative prioritizes reunifying individuals experiencing homelessness with care and family and loved ones within and outside the Continuum of Care’s (CoC) jurisdiction.
Three (3) proposals were received and scored based on the RFP criteria. The proposal submitted by Flood Bakersfield Ministries, Inc. (Flood ) was selected to administer the Community Vitality and Family Reunification Initiative to provide street outreach, supportive services, and family reunification in collaboration with City Code Enforcement’s Rapid Response Teams (RRT), and Bakersfield Police Department (BPD). If approved, Flood street outreach teams will accompany RRT and BPD t o calls for service, conduct triage and assessment, and/or connect clients to immediate resources such as sober living homes, detox, mental health services, shelters, short -term housing, as well as case -management and housing navigation.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The project was included and approved as part of the departments FY 2025-26 budget.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Safety and Resilience
ATTACHMENT:
Agreement