Camarillo City Council
AGENDA REPORT
Date: February 26, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Greg Ramirez, City Manager
Submitted by: David Sanchez, Community Development Director Subject: Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Application Support, Grant Funds Match, and Authorization to Accept Future Grant Funds
BACKGROUND
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administers the Federal HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME). The HOME program is the largest federal block grant designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households. The City of Camarillo itself is too small of a jurisdiction to receive a HOME allocation directly from the Federal Government, meaning until recently, the City’s allocation went to the State of California. To preserve the allocation for local use, the City of Camarillo banded together with the County of Ventura and local cities in 2020 to form the Ventura County HOME Consortium, where the City will have a better opportunity to compete for the grant funds.
City Staff have submitted an application to the County of Ventura for a Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) pilot program to assist currently homeless residents in finding rental housing. The agenda item seeks City Council’s support to continue pursuing the TBRA application with the County. Staff are also requesting a $25,000 non-repayable contribution from the General Fund to meet the award match requirement and permission to accept the TBRA funds should the grant be awarded.
DISCUSSION
Since 2013, Project HOPE has been working to identify, assess, educate, support, and encourage individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness by offering life sustaining resources. Project Hope works with homeless residents to connect them with resources and place them in housing. The availability of TBRA funds will provide another vital tool for Project Hope to address the housing needs of their clients. Project Hope administrates the Camarillo Hotel Voucher (CHV) program which provides a short-term stabilizing environment for clients to receive intensive case management, financial counseling, and
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housing navigation services. The goal of the program is to ultimately transition clients into more permanent housing situations. However, Project Hope faces significant challenges in achieving this mission, primarily due to the severe shortage of affordable rental options and clients' limited financial resources to cover housing costs. These financial barriers often prevent clients from securing stable, long-term housing solutions, even after successfully participating in the program's support services.
The TBRA funds will allow Project Hope to use majority grant funds to close the gap between lower income individuals and regular market rate rents. The funds will be provided to very low income households who already draw an income but find the current rental rates beyond their financial reach as part of a six-month pilot program. The amount of subsidy will be based upon the income of the household, the subsidy will be temporary, and the tenant will still be responsible for paying a portion of their rent. The TBRA program will form a vital waypoint along the City’s housing pipeline that graduates formerly unhoused individuals into housing.
Staff will work on identifying, vetting, and placing program participants in suitable rental properties as well as providing wraparound services, including financial counselling and housing navigation. The team will continue to work on developing a network of relationships with local landlords as well as address and mitigate any behavioral-related issues that may arise.
Program Guidelines
Upon receipt of the grant staff will work on identifying a suitable consultant that will be tasked with designing the TBRA pilot program guidelines that comply with HOME.
Grant Funds Match
The County of Ventura, who operate the Ventura County Consortium, requires jurisdictions to provide a 25% match to the requested grant funds. In this instance, the $100,000 TBRA grant funds will need to be matched by $25,000 in City funds ($125,000 total program amount). Staff are requesting the appropriation of $25,000 from the General Fund to meet this requirement. The funds will not be repaid to the General Fund.
Future Grant Acceptance
Should the grant be awarded, staff are requesting that the Council authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the necessary agreements and/or documents required to secure and accept the grant.
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Conformance with Adopted City Council Policies
Council Goals and Objectives (Attachment 2)
Community Enrichment Objective 1.b: Develop and implement appropriate education, enforcement and assistance strategies to address homeless and mental health issues. •The TBRA pilot program is consistent with this objective because the funds will allow for the creation of a new program through which City staff will be able to address homelessness in our community.
Community Enrichment Objective 1.c: Maintain the City’s involvement and collaboration with the VC Sheriff’s Department, VC Behavioral Health, and other agencies for assistance, as appropriate, in helping law enforcement respond to homelessness and calls involving mental health issues.
•The TBRA pilot program is consistent with this objective because the grant funds will be administered in cooperation with the VC Sheriff’s Department through Project Hope, which also includes a representative from the VC Behavioral Health office.
Economic Development Strategic Plan (Attachment 3)
Community/stakeholder workshops and a community online survey key weakness/challenges: Lack of sufficient affordable housing. •The TBRA pilot program will address this community concern by providing financial assistance with rent payments to low- and very low-income households. 2021-2029 Housing Element (Attachment 4)
Housing Program 13: Seek grant funding to support affordable housing activities. •The TBRA pitot program will be consistent with this program as the grant will support affordable housing activities.
FISCAL IMPACT
Award of the grant will result in $100,000 additional revenue. An appropriation of $25,000 from the General Fund for the City’s required match. The funds appropriated from the General Fund will be non-repayable.
CEQA DETERMINATIONS
City staff has determined, in accordance with Section 15061(b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, that the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance is not subject to CEQA review because it can be seen with certainty that there is no Tenant-Based Rental Assistance
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possibility that the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance may have a significant effect on the environment. In this case, assistance with a tenants rent can be seen with certainty to have no possibility to have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, this item is exempt from CEQA.
RECOMMENDATION
1. Find that the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) under the State CEQA Guidelines §§ 15061(b)(3); and,
2. Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the necessary agreements and/or documents required to secure and accept the grant; and;
3. Adopt a resolution appropriating $25,000 from the General Fund to satisfy the TBRA match requirement in the event the grant is awarded.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution
2. FY 2024/25 Council Goals & Objectives
3. City of Camarillo Economic Development Strategic Plan
4. City of Camarillo 2021 – 2029 Housing Element Programs REFERENCE MATERIALS – AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AT CITY HALL None