1 STAFF REPORT
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
DATE: October 15, 2024
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Patrick Prescott, Community Development Director VIA: Simone McFarland, Assistant Community Development Director BY: Marlin Galvez, Administrative Analyst II
SUBJECT:
Approval of Contract Amendment No. 1 to the Homeless Initiative Agreement Between the County of Los Angeles and the City of Burbank , Local Solutions Fund No. HI -23-001 A warding the City o f Burbank $325,237.00 for Fiscal Year 2024-25
RECOMMENDATION
Approve contract amendment No. 1 to the Homeless Initiative Agreement (Attachment 1), Local Solutions Fund, awarding the City of Burbank $325,237 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25, and authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the amendment and any future amendments under contract No. HI-23-001 and take any necessary action to effectuate the receipt and appropriation of said funds in future award years.
BACKGROUND
The City is a recipient of the Homeless Initiative (HI) Agreement , Local Solutions Fund, with the County of Los Angeles. The County Board of Supervisors has approved the FY 2024-25 allocation adding an additional $325,237 under Amendment No.1 for the HI contract No. HI-23-001 to be used for the provision and coordination of homeless services within the City. The amendment is intended to continue 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 FY 2024- 2025.1 The original contract amount for FY 2023-24 was $373,536 (Attachment 2).
1 In March 2017, voters approved Measure H, the quarter cent Countywide sales tax to provide an ongoing revenue stream for an estimated $355M per year, for ten years, to fund services, rental subsidies, and housing. The City contributes approximately $9M to $11M each year to the overall funding of Measure H without a commensurate direct allocation back to the City.
2 Since 2017, the City has received a total of $ 2,772,341 in Measure H funds. The funds have been utilized for various homelessness efforts including the development and implementation of outreach services , a motel voucher program , a problem-solving program, and landlord incentive programs.
If the amendment is approved by Council, the funds will be utilized to support the Council approved Homelessness Plan Playbook Action 3: Access, Outreach and Engagement and Playbook Action 4: Shelter and Housing Accessibility.
Playbook Action 3: Access, Outreach Engagement
The Local Solutions Fund’s eligible uses and proposed activities align with Action 3 of the Homelessness Plan . Many challenges exist for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, including 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 and Housing Accessibility
The Local Solutions Fund provides a bridge to stabiliz e a person experiencing homelessness with interim and/or permanent housing solutions. 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
Upon receiving the County-approved amendment award in the amount of $325,237, the City will continue to implement strategies to connect, prevent, stabilize, and house people who are homeless or at -risk of homelessness. These efforts are part of the C ouncil’s approved Homelessness Plan.
The FY 2024-2025 Homeless Initiative Contract , Local Solutions Fund will support Burbank in the following three areas:
Street Outreach and Engagement
The Burbank Homeless Outreach & Engagement Program is a valuable community resource. Subcontractors provide highly effective outreach with light touch case management, engaging and linking homeless participants to coordinated services with the goal to connect them to housing opportunities.
Interim Housing and Case Management
Under this program, a family in crisis (unsheltered families with children) is rapidly rehoused in a motel and receives case management. In partnership with Home Again Los 3 Angeles as the service provider, the program refers unhoused families with children from local agencies that include Burbank Unified School District, private educational/health institutions, faith -based organizations, nonprofit agencies, homeless outreach, first responders, and City Departments. This program allows families experiencing housing instability to remain in Burbank or the neighboring community with the least disruption to a family’s daily activities, such as school, work, childcare, or transportation.
Flex Funds
The City will continue to partn er with homeless service agencies trained in problem - solving to help individuals or households experiencing a housing crisis, a critical point for those newly, existing, or returning to the Coordinated Entry System. P roblem-solving provides short-term housing intervention that assist s households in maintaining their current housing, identifying an immediate and safe housing alternative within their social network, or seeking programs in the community (shelter, transitional housing, Rapid Rehousing, Permanent Supportive Housing, etc.). In addition, to reduce entries into chronic homelessness and increase the number of people in housing placements, the City will continue help ing with security deposits, moving costs, utility connection, appliances such as a stove or refrigerator (if not provided by the owner) , and rent assistance.
Furthermore, Flex Funds 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. The funds are administered by the Homelessness team and are only paid out to the property owners and vendors.
The programs described above are budgeted as follows:
Program Budget
Street Outreach and Engagement $150,000
Interim Housing and Case Management $112,500
Flex Funds $62,737
Total $325,237
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Approving the Contract Amendment to receive the funds for the provision of homeless services does 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
There is no fiscal impact resulting from the recommended action as revenues and expenditures have already been appropriated in the FY2024- 25 Adopted budget. These 4 funds are currently available in account 001.CD23A.62085.0000.25056 (General Fund, Community Development Affordable Housing, Other Professional Services, Local Homeless Funds) for the Local Solutions Fund Grant. Future revenues are not known at this time. However, the funds will be utilized as outlined in the approved scope of work.
Funds received via future amendments will be deposited and appropriated in the applicable FY they are received.
CONCLUSION
The City possesses the competence, expertise, personnel, and partnerships necessary to provide the services indicated in Contract Amendment No.1 and these funds will assist in achieving goals outlined in the current Homelessness Plan. T herefore, staff recommends Council approve the funding amendment, Contract Agreement No.1 and subsequent amendments in addition to designating the City Manager, or his designee, to execute this amendment and future amendments under contract No. HI-23-001. Staff will budget future funds received under this contract via related amendment(s) during the annual budget process.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Amendment No. 1 to the Homeless Initiative Agreement HI-23-001 Attachment 2 – Original Homeless Initiative Agreement No. HI-23-001