Fremont City Council Meeting: 10/17/23 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Human Services Department Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Agreements and Contracts
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5001) DOC ID: 5001
Updated: 10/11/2023 3:20 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 1
ALAMEDA COUNTY HOUSING COMMUNITY SUPPORTS CONTRACT - Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement to Provide Housing Transition Navigation and Housing Tenancy and Sustaining Services and Making Findings of CEQA Exemption
Contact Persons:
Name: Arquimides Caldera Suzanne Shenfil
Title: Deputy Director of Human Services Director
Div/Dept: Human Services Department Human Services Department Phone: 510-574-2056 510-574-2051
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid health care program for children and adults, is currently undergoing a transformative system change, moving away from the state funding individual services to a county led system. This system transformation is known as California Advancing & Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM).
As part of CalAIM, Alameda County Health Care Services Agency (HCSA) has contracted with the City to provide homeless individuals and families with Housing Community Supports, including Housing Transition Navigation Services (HN), Tenancy, Sustaining Services (TSS) and one-time rental deposits.
Staff recommends the City Council:
Authorize the City Manager to execute a service agreement not to exceed $290,000, for the City to provide HN, TSS and one-time rental deposits; and making findings of CEQA exemption.
BACKGROUND: Medi-Cal is California’s Medicaid health care program. This program pays for services for children and adults with limited income and resources. Currently, the Medi - Cal program is undergoing a transformative system change, moving away from the state funding individual services, to CalAIM, with the goal of:
• improving population health using a whole person care model and social determinants of health,
• Reducing complexity and variation, and increase flexibility of services across Medi- Cal, and
• Improving quality outcomes, reducing health disparities, and modernizing systems through value-based initiatives and payment reform.
As part of this CalAIM program, HCSA’s Office of Homeless Care and Coordination has spearheaded the County’s effort to expand Housing Community Supports for homeless populations. This program is funded through a combination of CalAIM funding via Anthem Blue Cross and Alameda Alliance for Health, as well as additional County general funds.
The Human Services department has provided Medi-Cal funded services to South County residents for many years, including mental health services, substance use disorder services Council Staff Report (ID # 5001) Meeting of October 17, 2023 Updated: 10/11/2023 3:20 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 2
and targeted Case Management services. Continuing to serve low-income clients will necessitate the City’s involvement in the CalAIM system.
HCSA currently contracts with providers for Housing Community Supports including Housing Transition Navigation Services (HN), Tenancy and Sustaining Services (TSS) and one-time flexible Housing Deposits (HD) with a combined capacity to serve approximately 1,700 people at a time (1,400 TSS and 300 HN). Current capacity does not meet the need to support the more than 10,000 people experiencing homelessness at a time (approximate ly 2,000 of which are on County housing queues).
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: In calendar year 2023, HCSA contracts with the City of Fremont for up to 25 client “slots” to:
• Maintain combined strength-based housing transition navigation services and/or housing tenancy and sustaining services for homeless and formerly homeless individuals living in or transitioning to HCSA designated permanent housing units, and
• Administer one-time flexible housing deposits for consumers authorized by HCSA to assist with costs associated with move-in expenses.
In calendar year 2024, HCSA proposes an identical service agreement that would reimburse the City at a rate of $550 per client per month. HCSA has again designated up to 25 client “slots” for the City. The agreement would also provide a one-time housing deposit of up to $5,000 per client. Based on these assumptions, staff estimates an agreement not to exceed $290,000 per year, as shown in Table 2 below:
Table 2: 2024 “Services As Needed” Agreement Structure
Rate
per client
per month
Housing
Deposit
Max Slots Months
Total
“Not to Exceed”
Amount
Services as Needed $550 25 12 $165,000
Housing Deposit $5,000 25 N/A $125,000
Total: $290,000
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no impact on the General Fund. To meet the required ratio of clients to care manager, the contract revenue supports a 1.0 FTE Case Manager. The service contract will also cover the cost of housing deposits, as well as internal service and administrative overhead costs.
In anticipation of this program, the City Council appropriated $290,000 in the ACHCSA Housing Community Supports account in the Miscellaneous Operating Grants Fund (Fund 190), as part of the FY 2023/24 Adopted Operating Budget, a sufficient amount to cover program costs.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to, without limitation, CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2), (4) and/or (5) and/or 15061(b)(3), each as a separate and independent basis for CEQA exemption, as it is a fiscal or administrative Council Staff Report (ID # 5001) Meeting of October 17, 2023 Updated: 10/11/2023 3:20 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 3
activity of a government agency that has no possibility, either directly or indirectly, to cause a significant effect on the environment.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Authorize the City Manager or her designee to execute a service agreement with Alameda County not to exceed $290,000.
2. Find that the action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to, without limitation, CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2), (4) and/or (5) and/or 15061(b)(3), each as a separate and independent basis for CEQA exemption, as it is a fiscal or administrative activity of a government agency that has no possibility, either directly or indirectly, to cause a significant effect on the environment..