Fremont City Council Meeting: 11/19/24 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Human Services Department Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Agreements and Contracts
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5295) DOC ID: 5295
Updated: 11/14/2024 12:25 PM by Dina Lewis Page 1
AMENDMENT TO THE FY 2023/24 ACTION PLAN AND AUTHORIZE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AGREEMENT WITH ABODE SERVICES - Public Hearing (Published Notice) on amending the FY 2023/24 CDBG and ESG Action Plan and Authorizing the City Manager to Enter Into an Agreement with Abode Services for Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Funding for the Sunrise Village Shelter
Contact Persons:
Name: Robert Lopez Christina Briggs
Title: CDBG Administrator Assistant City Manager
Div/Dept: Human Services Department Human Services Department 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 hold a public hearing and approve a substantial amendment to the FY 2023/24 CDBG and ESG Action Plan to utilize $89,000 of Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds for emergency shelter services and authorizing the City Manager to enter into a one-year agreement with Abode Services to support the Sunrise Village Emergency Shelter for FY 2024/25.
BACKGROUND: On May 9, 2023, the City Council approved the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) and staff’s funding recommendations for the FY 2023-2024 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and ESG Action Plan. Changes to any uses or funding allocations for projects identified in the Action Plan, an amendment to the Action Plan is required. Abode 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 and is Fremont’s only family shelter and a critical resource for the City’s homeless response.
In September, staff presented to the City Council a variety of sources through which the City can support Abode in addressing an operating deficit it currently faces at Sunrise Village, given the critical role it plays in the City’s homeless response. Specifically, the City Council approved $150,000 in Permanent Housing Local Allocation (PHLA) funding for Abode Services. At that time, staff also indicated it had identified $89,000 in one-time FY 2023/24 ESG program funding to utilize for this purpose in FY 2024/25, retroactive to July 1, 2024.
Specific use of this ESG funding, and amending the ESG Action Plan accordingly, is now before the City Council for approval. Additionally, in FY 2024/25, Sunrise Village will receive $162,806 from the City’s Social Service Grant funding, which was previously approved.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: To program and utilize the $89,000 in ESG funding for a new activity, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires action by the City to approve a substantial amendment to the FY 2023/24 CDBG and ESG Action Plan. A substantial amendment to the Action Plan also requires a 30-day public comment period and public hearing as outlined in the City’s Participation Plan (CPP). The proposed amendment was noticed in both the print and internet publications of the Tri-City Voice and the date of Council Staff Report (ID # 5295) Meeting of November 19, 2024 Updated: 11/14/2024 12:25 PM by Dina Lewis Page 2
this City Council meeting’s public hearing constitutes the 30 th and final day of the comment period.
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. Supporting Sunrise Village aligns with the City’s Homeless Response Plan and is 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 for Abode to identify opportunities for long-term, structural increases to funding sources for Sunrise Village.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is a match requirement for this funding that is satisfied by the other funding granted for the Sunrise Village Shelter. As part of the FY 2024/25 Adopted Operating Budget, the City Council appropriated sufficient funds for Sunrise Village in the ESG 2023 account of Federal Operations Grants Fund (Fund 191).
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The ESG funded project listed in this staff report is subject to environmental review procedures pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Consistent with NEPA regulations, funding will not be distributed to a project until appropriate NEPA review and clearance is completed for that project.
The project being recommended is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as the repair, maintenance or minor alteration of existing facilities involving negligible or no expansion of use pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301, and as replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site and have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the replaced structure pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15302.
ATTACHMENTS:
• Draft Resolution FY 23-24 Amendment ESG
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Hold a public hearing on the Substantial Amendment to the FY 2023/24 CDBG and ESG Action Plan, adding a new activity to reallocate $89,000 in ESG funding for emergency shelter services.
2. Adopt a resolution approving the following actions:
a. Approve and authorize the City Manager, or her designee, to amend the FY 2023/24 CDBG and ESG Action Plan as described in this staff report. b. Authorize the City Manager, or her designee, to execute a one-year agreement with Abode Services, retroactive to July 1, 2024, to support the operation of the Sunrise Village Emergency Shelter, in an amount not to exceed $89,000, Council Staff Report (ID # 5295) Meeting of November 19, 2024 Updated: 11/14/2024 12:25 PM by Dina Lewis Page 3
contingent upon a finding of no significant impact in the corresponding NEPA environmental assessments and completion of the required public comment period.