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 # 5230) DOC ID: 5230
Updated: 8/28/2024 1:41 PM by Dina Lewis Page 1
AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AGREEMENT WITH ABODE SERVICES - Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Abode Services for Permanent Local Housing Allocation Funding for Sunrise Village Shelter and Associated Appropriation Actions
Contact Persons:
Name: Robert Lopez Christina Briggs
Title: CDBG Administrator Assistant City Manager
Div/Dept: Human Services Department City Manager's Office Phone: 510-574-2043 510-284-4022
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The purpose of this staff report is to request that the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute a two-year agreement, with Abode Services, in an amount not to exceed $300,000 in Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) funding to support the operation of Fremont’s Sunrise Village Emergency Shelter. The agreement will allocate $150,000 in FY 2024/25 and $150,000 in FY 2025/26. Staff also recommends the City Council appropriate $150,000 to Fund 190 in FY 2024/25.
BACKGROUND: Abode’s mission is to end homelessness by assisting low-income, un-housed people, including those with special needs, to secure stable, supportive housing, and to be advocates for the removal of the causes of homelessness. Abode helps its clients by offering critical services in three main areas: outreach engagement and benefits services, health and supportive services, and property and housing related services.
Abode owns and operates Sunrise Village Emergency Shelter (Sunrise Village), located in Fremont. Sunrise Village offers emergency shelter and support services to homeless individuals and families. It can accommodate up to 66 residents at a time. There are 10 individual family units on one side of the building and beds for 30 single adults on the other side. The singles side is set up in a gender-based dormitory style and can accommodate 16 men and 14 women. Residents receive three meals a day (including bagged lunches for those working or attending school), access to laundry facilities, phone, internet, and mail services. Sunrise Village is Fremont’s only family shelter and a critical resource for the City’s homeless response.
Together with their service coordinators, residents create an action plan to help them become self-sufficient and secure housing. Service coordination may include budgeting, securing employment or financial benefits, employment training programs, securing the necessary documents to obtain housing, substance abuse recovery, and primary and mental health care. Additionally, Sunrise Village staff provide onsite workshops addressing topics that include housing, credit, employment, coping skills, and parenting support.
According to Abode, Sunrise Village currently has an annual operating budget of approximately $1.73 million.
Council Staff Report (ID # 5230) Meeting of September 3, 2024 Updated: 8/28/2024 1:41 PM by Dina Lewis Page 2
The City has been a committed partner to Sunrise Village, using its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for the original construction of the shelter, as well as multiple renovations and expansion projects over the years. The City has also supported Sunrise Village operating costs for many years. In FY 2024/25, Sunrise Village will receive $162,806 in Social Service Grant funding. The City will also allocate approximately $89,000 in one-time Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program funding in FY 2024/25.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: In April 2024, Abode Services notified the City that it was anticipating an ongoing $474,000 annual operating deficit at Sunrise Village at its current capacity, primarily due to increasing operating costs and a funding formula that has not kept pace with this inflation. Abode leadership has requested financial assistance from multiple funding partners, including the City, to address the current operating deficit to keep the shelter running. According to Abode, without additional funding, they might be forced to operate at a substantially reduced bed-night capacity.
On May 21, 2024, the City Council adopted a 5 Year Strategic Plan to address homelessness in Fremont. The plan included a strategy to connect people to shelter, housing, and other resources, with the goals of increasing pathways to housing and reducing the impact of unsheltered homelessness. Supporting Sunrise Village is in alignment with the City’s Strategic Plan and critical for maintaining the number of emergency and transitional beds available for unhoused residents in Fremont.
In addition to the City funding recommended by staff, in FY 2024/25, Abode has also secured $100,000 in combined commitments from Alameda County District 1 and District 2 Supervisors, as well as $224,000 from Alameda County Health’s Housing and Homeless Services Department, which will close the current operating gap and provide time to identify opportunities for long-term, structural increases to funding sources for Sunrise Village.
FISCAL IMPACT: The State of California has awarded the City of Fremont a five-year allocation of Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) funds estimated to total $3.85 Million. To date, through year four, the City has been allocated $3.3 Million. The City has committed most of the PLHA funding to cover the costs of operating the Housing Navigation Center. PLHA also partially funds a Family Resource Center Clinical Supervisor that supports homeless services.
The recommended action will have no impact on the General Fund. Staff has identified $300,000 in unallocated PLHA funding (previously allocated to a possible Home Key project) that may be allocated to Abode, with $150,000 for FY 2024/25 and $150,000 for FY 2025/26.
Staff recommends the City Council appropriate an additional $150,000 in FY 2024/25 to the California Housing and Community Development - PLHA account in Fund 190. The recommended second year of funding would be appropriated as part of the FY 2025/26 Operating Budget adoption process.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The proposed action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project that has potential for causing a significant effect on the environment as defined in CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) and/or section 15378(b)(2), (b)(5).
Council Staff Report (ID # 5230) Meeting of September 3, 2024 Updated: 8/28/2024 1:41 PM by Dina Lewis Page 3
ATTACHMENTS: None.
RECOMMENDATION: Authorize the City Manager or her designee, to execute a two-year agreement with Abode Services to support the operation of the Sunrise Village Emergency Shelter, in an amount not to exceed $300,000; and appropriate $150,000 in Permanent Local Housing Allocation funding to Fund 190 in FY 2024/25.