DATE:
May 13, 2025
CATEGORY:
Consent
DEPT.:
City Manager’s Office
TITLE: Destination: Home Capacity Grant for
Homeless Initiatives
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Mountain View Authorizing the City Manager or Designee to Accept a Grant in the Amount of $102,000 from Destination: Home SV to Support the City’s Ongoing and New Homeless Initiatives, and Authorizing the City Manager o r Their Designee to Execute All Documents Necessary for Receipt of the Grant Funds, to be read in title only, further reading waived (Attachment 1 to the Council report).
BACKGROUND
Destination: Home, a public -private partnership focused on ending homelessness in Silicon Valley, recognizes the leadership the City has demonstrated in responding to the needs of unhoused and unstably housed residents . This includes partnering on regional efforts, such as the City’s involvement in the development of the 2020 -2025 Santa Clara County’s Community Plan to End Homelessness (Community Plan).
In 2021, Destination: Home provided a grant to the City for work on addressing homelessness across the continuum of programs that align with the Community Plan. On June 8, 2021, the City Council accepted this grant in the amount of $450,000. The grant amount was equally distributed across three fiscal years , from Fiscal Year 2021 -22 to Fiscal Year 2023 -24, to support the City’s Homeless Response Strategy Implementation and Expenditure Plan, which aligns with the Community Plan.
Use of Grant Funds
Between Fiscal Year 2022 -23 and Fiscal Year 2024 -25, the $450,000 grant amount has been utilized in the following ways:
• $264,000 to fund the majority of the annual f iscal year agreement with the Community Services Agency of Mountain View, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills (CSA), the City’s r esource
Destination: Home Capacity Grant for Homeless Initiatives May 13, 2025
hub for the unhoused and unstably housed, for case management services, information and referral services, and outreach to vulnerable populations;
• $150,000 set aside for The Heartwood storytelling project in partnership with Housing Trust Silicon Valley; and
• $36,000 anticipated to be used to a cover a portion of the Fiscal Year 2025 -26 agreement with CSA, pending Council adoption later this spring, when staff plans to bring forward the annual homeless contracts.
ANALYSIS
In spring 2024, Destination: Home invited staff to submit a letter of request for consideration of a new three-year grant. In summer 2024, Destination: Home advised staff that a three-year grant would not be feasible and instead requested staff to submit a new letter of request for consideration of a one -year grant. On January 23, 2025, Destination: Home, via Silicon Valley Community Foundation, awarded the City a grant of $102,000 to support the continuation of providing critical case management, housing information and referral services, and targeted outreach for Mountain View’s unhoused and unstably housed residents (Attachment 2).
Alignment with Pathways to Housing
At the January 28, 2025 Council meeting, staff presented the draft Pathways to Housing— Homeless Response Strategy Implementation and Expenditure Plan (Plan), which reflects on the City’s work over the past eight years and serves as the road map for addressing homelessness in Mountain View over the next seven to 10 years through actionable goals, strategies, and a plan for expenditures.
The Plan includes a recommendation to continue funding existing homeless initiatives, including homeless prevention case management and outreach, which are currently funded using one - time funds. This grant will assist in the funding for homeless prevention case management and outreach to vulnerable populations for an additional fiscal year.
As noted in Pathways to Housing, t he City currently does not have a direct funding source for homeless initiatives. If approved, the $102,000 grant would cover approximately 63% of the costs for the homeless prevention case management and outreach to vulnerable populations programs (a combined total of $162,000), which are provided by CSA through an annual funding agreement with the City. The remaining $60,000 of the program costs would be covered by the General Non-Operating Fund limited-period funds, through the annual budget request process, if approved.
Staff continues to pursue external funding sources as available.
Destination: Home Capacity Grant for Homeless Initiatives May 13, 2025
NEXT STEPS
In June 2025, staff will bring forward to Council the a nnual homeless contracts item, which will include a recommendation to execute a Fiscal Year 2025 -26 funding agreement with CSA for homeless prevention services and programs, in which a portion of the agreement would be funded by the $102,000 grant from Destination: Home.
FISCAL IMPACT
Accepting the grant funds results in additional grant revenue of $102,000. The grant does not have any matching requirements. If approved, $102,000 of revenue will be added to the General Housing Fund account, which will enable the City to fully fund one existing homeless initiative (Outreach to Vulnerable Populations) and partially fund another (Homeless Prevention Case Management) for Fiscal Year 2025-26. Appropriations are not being requested at this time.
LEVINE ACT
California Government Code Section 84308 (also known as the Levine Act) prohibits city officials from participating in any proceeding involving a “license, permit, or other entitlement for use” if the official has received a campaign contribution exceeding $500 from a party, participant, or agent of a party or participant within the last 12 months. The Levine Act is intended to prevent financial influence on decisions that affect specific, identifiable persons or participants. For more information see the Fair Political Practices Commission website:
www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/pay-to-
play-limits-and-prohibitions.html
Please see below for information about whether the recommended action for this agenda item is subject to or exempt from the Levine Act.
SUBJECT TO THE LEVINE ACT
☒ Contract or franchise agreement
ALTERNATIVES
1. Do not accept the grant from Destination: Home.
2. Provide other direction to staff.
Destination: Home Capacity Grant for Homeless Initiatives May 13, 2025
PUBLIC NOTICING
The meeting agenda and Council report have been posted on the City’s website. A copy of the report was sent to the grantors, Destination: Home and Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
Prepared by:
Jasmine Ortega
Management Fellow
Parneet Dhindsa
Human Services Manager
Reviewed by:
Kimberly S. Thomas
Deputy City Manager
Approved by:
Audrey Seymour Ramberg
Assistant City Manager
JO-PD/2/CAM
627-05-13-25CR
204892
Attachments: 1. Resolution
2. Destination: Home Grant Award Letter to the City of Mountain View