1 STAFF REPORT
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
DATE: September 26, 2023
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Patrick Prescott, Community Development Director VIA: Simone McFarland, Assistant Community Development Director BY: Marcos Gonzalez, Housing Development Manager
SUBJECT: Approval of Funding Agreements with the County of Los Angeles for Implementation of the City’s Five-Year Homelessness Plan and amend the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget
RECOMMENDATION
Approve funding agreements with the County of Los Angeles (County) for implementation of the City of Burbank’s (City) Five-Year Homelessness Plan and amend the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget.
BACKGROUND
The City is a recipient of two grants totaling $679,426 from the County for the provision and coordination of homeless services. The grants are intended to increase collaboration among cities in the greater Los Angeles region and with the County to address local needs. The County Board of Supervisors allocated these funds from the Measure H budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24.1 The two grants are awarded to the City to help fill service gaps and they include:
1. A Local Solutions Fund grant totaling $373,536 to address the City’s unique efforts in preventing and combatting homelessness (Attachment 1).
2. A Homeless Incentive Program grant totaling $305,890 to facilitate housing for recipients of vouchers issued by the Burbank Housing Authority. The City receives funds on behalf of the Housing Authority because this grant does not appropriate
1 In March 2017, voters approved Measure H, the quarter cent Countywide sales tax to provide an ongoing revenue stream for an estimated $355 million per year, for ten years, to fund services, rental subsidies, and housing. The City contributes approximately $9 to $11M each year to the overall funding of Measure H without a commensurate direct allocation back to the City.
2 funding for new vouchers. Measure H funds may only be used for services and not for the creation of new tenant-based rent assistance or units (Attachment 2).
Each grant funding agreement contains separate reporting requirements and eligible uses. Prior to FY 2023-24, the City was granted $1,543,745 in Measure H funding since its inception in 2017. The funds were granted for the development and implementation of homeless programs and landlord incentives. A total of $788,766 has been received for the expenditures we have incurred to date . Planning of new programs funded with Measure H funds are underway ; therefore, additional expenditures will be forthcoming.
If the grants are approved by Council, staff will utilize these additional funds to support the Council approved Homelessness Plan Playbook Action 3 : Access, Outreach & Engagement and Playbook Action 4: Shelter & Housing Accessibility.
Playbook Action 3: Access, Outreach & Engagement
The Local Solutions Fund eligible uses and proposed activities align with Action 3 of the Homelessness Plan. People experiencing unsheltered homelessness face challenges to their physical wellness, shelter, safety, and psychological needs. The City will utilize the Local Solutions funding to enhance street outreach and access services, creating a unified approach centered around engagement, connection to services, and harm reduction strategies.
Playbook Action 4: Shelter & Housing Accessibility
The Homeless Incentive Program provides a bridge to stabiliz e a person experiencing homelessness awaiting a permanent housing solution. Shelter and housing are critical to ending homelessness. Accessibility to housing is a challenge across the region and high prices for rent and home ownership in greater Los Angeles County make it more difficult for individuals to move out of homelessness and increase the number of people who are precariously housed or on the verge of housing instability.
DISCUSSION
To receive the County-approved grants totaling $679,426, the City was required to apply and describe effective strategies to connect, prevent, house, and stabilize a person who is facing homelessness, m any of which are contained in the C ouncil’s approved Homelessness Plan. The program submissions to the County address many of our local needs.
The FY 2023-24 Local Solutions Fund will support Burbank in the following four focus areas:
• Flex Funds;
• Outreach & Engagement;
• Interim Housing and Case Management; and
• Landlord Incentives.
3 Flex Funds
In partnership with homeless service agencies trained in problem-solving, staff will offer assistance to individuals or households experiencing a housing crisis , a critical point for those newly, existing, or returning to the Coordinated Entry System. Problem-solving will provide short-term housing intervention that assists households in maintaining their current housing, identifying an immediate and safe housing alternative within their soc ial network, or seeking programs in the community (shelter, transitional housing, Rapid Rehousing, Permanent Supportive Housing, etc.). This is a strengths -based strategy that utilizes conversation and empowerment methods to help resolve the household’s housing crisis or quickly connect them to emergency or crisis housing services by working alongside participants in an empowering manner.
Flex Funds may include, but are not limited to, transportation, public storage, family reunification, emergency housing, move-in and utility deposit, landlord incentives, car repair and other auto related expenses, minor medical fees/supplies, etc.
Outreach & Engagement
The Burbank Homeless Outreach Program is a valuable community resource operated by Streetplus. Streetplus provides highly effective outreach with light touch case management. The County Local Solutions Fund will support this program by augmenting operations previously approved by the Council f or a Homeless Outreach Coordinator, which will provide more boots on the ground and better coordination of services. Council’s prior approval of $100,000 in FY 2023-24 is a joint funding source that’s needed to support the expansion of this program.
Interim Housing and Case Management
Under this program, a family in crisis ( unsheltered families with children ) will be rapidly rehoused in a motel and receive case management. In partnership with Home Again Los Angeles as the service provider, the proposed program will accept referrals of unhoused families with children from local agencies that include, but are not limited to, the Burbank Unified School District, private educational/health institutions, faith -based organizations, nonprofit agencies, homeless outreach, first responders, and City Departments. A family’s unhoused crisis is treated as a priority; therefore, a family does not have to call 2-1-1 or the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority to qualify. By operating our own crisis housing with local motels, families experiencing housing instability may remain in Burbank or the neighboring community with the least disruption to a family’s daily activities, such as school, work, childcare, or transportation. In addition, Case Managers can be within an arm’s length to provide daily counseling.
Landlord Incentives
To reduce entries into chronic homelessness and increase the number of people in housing placements, the City will continue to provide landlord incentives to facilitate private rental agreements with people who are homeless through a voucher. The Homeless Incentive Program will cover service costs including security deposits, moving costs, utility connection, appliances such as a stove and refrigerator (if not provided by 4 the owner), and a one -month’s rent move -in incentive to the owner. Funds are administered by the Burbank Housing Authority and only paid out to the property owner.
The timeline for the four programs described above is subject to approval of the grant agreements and purchasing requirements. Each proposed program has an established budget, as shown below.
Program Budget
Flex Funds $111,036
Outreach and Engagement $140,000
Interim Housing and Case Management $122,500
Landlord Incentives $305,890
Total $679,426
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Approving County funding agreements to receive Measure H funds for the provision of homeless services unrelated to any specific project do not have the potential to cause a significant effect on the environment and does not qualify as a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs § 15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
Staff is requesting City Council amend the FY 2023 -24 budget by accepting two grants totaling $679,426 from the County of Los Angeles for the implementation of the Homelessness Plan, and by appropriating the following amounts:
• $373,536 from revenue account 001.CD000.48010.1142.000000.24881 (General Fund, Community Development General, Other Intergovernmental Revenues, Measure H County Grant, Local Homeless Funds) to
001.CD23A.62085.0000.24881 (General Fund, Affordable Housing, Other Professional Services, Local Homeless Funds) for the Local Solutions Fund Grant. • $305,890 from revenue account 001.CD000.48010.1142.000000.24881 (General Fund, Community Development General, Other Intergovernmental Revenues, Measure H County Grant, Local Homeless Funds) to
001.CD23A.62085.0000.24881 (General Fund, Affordable Housing, Other Professional Services, Local Homeless Funds) for the Homeless Incentive Program Grant.
CONCLUSION
The City possesses the competence, expertise, personnel, and partnerships necessary to provide the services indicated in the Measure H funding agreements and these funds will assist in achieving goals outlined in the current Homelessness Plan; t herefore, staff recommends Council approve the funding agreements (Attachments 1 and 2) and authorize the corresponding amendment of the Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget.
ATTACHMENTS
5 Attachment 1 – Local Solutions Grant Agreement
Attachment 2 – Amendment No. 5 Homeless Incentive Program Grant Agreement Attachment 3 – Amendment No. 4 Homeless Incentive Program Grant Agreement Attachment 4 – Amendment No. 3 Homeless Incentive Program Grant Agreement Attachment 5 – Amendment No. 2 Homeless Incentive Program Grant Agreement Attachment 6 – Amendment No. 1 Homeless Incentive Program Grant Agreement