Fremont City Council Meeting: 09/03/24 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Human Services Department Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Agreements and Contracts
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5229) DOC ID: 5229
Updated: 8/27/2024 8:24 AM by Dina Lewis Page 1
ALAMEDA COUNTY HOUSING COMMUNITY SUPPORTS AMENDMENT - Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Second Amendment to Provide Housing Transition Navigation and Housing Tenancy and Sustaining Services and Making Findings of CEQA Exemption
Contact Persons:
Name: Arquimides Caldera Christina Briggs
Title: Deputy Director of Human Services Assistant City Manager Div/Dept: Human Services Department City Manager's Office Phone: 510-574-2056 510-284-4022
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 (ACH), formerly Alameda County Health Care Services Agency, 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 through June 30, 2025.
Staff recommends the City Council:
Authorize the City Manager to execute a Second Amendment in an amount not to exceed $228,000, 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 increasing 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, ACH’s Office of Housing and Homeless Services has spearheaded the County’s effort to expand Housing Community Supports program for homeless populations. This program is funded through a combination of CalAIM funding from Alameda Alliance for Health, Kaiser Permanente, as well as additional County general funds.
Council Staff Report (ID # 5229) Meeting of September 3, 2024 Updated: 8/27/2024 8:24 AM by Dina Lewis Page 2
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 and targeted Case Management services. Serving low-income clients will necessitate the City’s continued involvement in the CalAIM system.
ACH currently crontracts with providers, including the City, for Housing Community Supports (HCS), including Housing Transition Navigation Services (HN), Tenancy and Sustaining Services (TSS) and one-time flexible Housing Deposits (HD). According to the County, current capacity does not meet the need to support the nearly 10,000 people experiencing homelessness at a time (approximately 2,000 of which are on County housing queues).
The City and County initially entered into an Agreement for HCS-related services for calendar year 2023. The City and County then entered into a First Amendment for these services in calendar year 2024.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: In calendar year 2024, ACH 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.
ACH wishes to eventually move to a fiscal year contract and will use the Second Amendment to extend the Agreement through June 30, 2025. ACH proposes to increase the per client reimbursement rate from $550 per month to $620 per month. ACH has again designated up to 25 client “slots” for the City. The Second Amendment will include a pre- enrollment outreach fee of $10 to $30 per encounter, depending on the length of the encounter. The Second Amendment will also continue to provide a one-time housing deposit of up to $5,000 per client. Based on these assumptions, staff estimates a not to exceed sum of $228,000 for the Second Amendment, as shown below:
2025 “Services As Needed” Second Amendment Structure
Rate Slots Encounters Months
Total
Amount
Services as Needed $620 25 6 $93,000
Pre-enrollment Outreach $20 25 20 $10,000
Housing Deposit $5,000 25 N/A $125,000
Total: $228,000
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no impact on the General Fund. To meet the required ratio of clients to care manager, revenue from the Second Amendment supports a 1.0 FTE Case Manager. The Second Amendment will also cover the cost of housing deposits, as well as internal service costs.
Council Staff Report (ID # 5229) Meeting of September 3, 2024 Updated: 8/27/2024 8:24 AM by Dina Lewis Page 3
In anticipation of this program, the City Council appropriated sufficient funding in the ACH Housing Community Supports account in the Miscellaneous Operating Grants Fund (Fund 190), as part of the FY 2024/25 Adopted Operating Budget.
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 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 Second Amendment with Alameda County in an amount not to exceed $228,000 for the City to provide Housing Transition Navigation and Housing Tenancy and Sustaining Services.
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.