Fremont City Council Meeting: 03/18/25 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Human Services Department Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Agreements and Contracts
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5374) DOC ID: 5374
Updated: 3/13/2025 1:32 PM by Dina Lewis Page 1
HHAP AMENDMENT FOR HOMELESS SERVICES - Authorize the City Manager to Enter into an Amendment with Alameda County for Homeless Housing And Prevention Funds to Support the Housing Navigation Center and Other Services, Appropriate $531,144 in HHAP funding in Fund 179, and Make Findings of CEQA Exemption
Contact Persons:
Name: Robert Lopez Arquimides Caldera
Title: CDBG Administrator Human Services Director
Div/Dept: Human Services Department Human Services Department Phone: 510-574-2043 510-574-2056
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: In February 2020, the City of Fremont applied for, and was awarded grant funding for Rounds 1-2 of the State Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Program, administered through Alameda County’s Office of Homeless Care and Coordination (OHCC). To date, the City has received $2,206,321 of HHAP Rounds 1-4 funding.
Staff recommends the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute an amendment to the existing agreement with Alameda County for an additional $531,144 HHAP Round 5 funding, for a total contract amount not to exceed $2,737,465, through December 31, 2025. The City has primarily used its HHAP allocations as a critical source of funding ongoing operations of the Housing Navigation Center (HNC). While City Council appropriated sufficient funding for this contract from a variety of funding sources in the FY 2024/25 adopted budget, staff also recommends an additional appropriation to account for this new funding of $531,144 in the OHCC-HNC HHAP account of Fund 179, which will free up future City dollars for subsequent years.
BACKGROUND: The 2019-2020 California State Legislature passed AB 101, which established the HHAP Program and allocated one-time funding to counties and continuums of care for homeless services. HHAP funds were allocated based on the biennial homeless point-in-time count of sheltered and unsheltered persons.
Eligible uses for HHAP funds are broad and include rental assistance and rapid rehousing, operating subsidies for housing, landlord incentives, outreach and coordination, systems support, permanent supportive housing solutions, prevention, and new navigation centers and emergency shelters. The City has primarily used its HHAP allocations as a critical source of funding supporting ongoing operations of the Housing Navigation Center (HNC).
Eligible applicants for the HHAP Program administer funds separately; however, jurisdictions are expected to demonstrate regional coordination. To this end, the City has accepted the City of Newark’s HHAP funding allocation on its behalf in the past, with the two cities coordinating homeless services.
Council Staff Report (ID # 5374) Meeting of March 18, 2025 Updated: 3/13/2025 1:32 PM by Dina Lewis Page 2
To date, the City has received $2,206,321 of HHAP Rounds 1-4 funding, which includes the acceptance of $73,789 in HHAP Round 3 funding on behalf of Newark.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The County has awarded the City an additional $531,144 in joint HHAP Round 5 funding, with $28,227 being accepted on behalf of Newark. An amendment to the original funding agreement with Alameda County is required to accept the Round 5 funding for Fremont and Newark. The additional funding will continue to support the ongoing operations of the HNC, which provides interim housing for unsheltered individuals and assists them in finding permanent housing.
FISCAL IMPACT: The HHAP Round 5 funding received in the amount of $531,144 will support ongoing operations of the HNC and services targeted for those experiencing homelessness. While City Council appropriated sufficient funding for this contract from a variety of funding sources in the FY 2024/25 adopted budget, staff is requesting an additional appropriation to account for this new funding of $531,144 in the OHCC-HNC HHAP account of Fund 179, which will free up future City dollars for subsequent years.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: Approval of an amendment to the HHAP funding agreement with Alameda County is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because, without limitation, it is not a “project” as defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2) and/or 15378(b)(5), and it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the action may have a significant effect on the environment as specified in CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), each as a separate and independent basis for CEQA compliance.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Authorize the City Manager, or her designee, to enter into an amendment with Alameda County to extend the current HHAP funding agreement until December 31, 2025, and to add an additional $531,144 in HHAP Round 5 funding, for a total agreement amount not to exceed $2,737,465 for eligible services, including interim housing such as the Housing Navigation Center, permanent housing, and affordable or supportive housing operating subsidies.
2. Increase the revenue estimate and appropriate $531,144 in the OHCC-HNC HHAP account of Fund 179.
3. Make findings of CEQA exemption as specified in this report.