n
TO:
October 2, 2023
Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Department of Housing
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION TO AMEND CONTRACT NO. 25,558 WITH THE CITY
OF LOS ANGELES TO PROVIDE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR
PERSONS WITH AIDS TENANT -BASED RENT AL ASSISTANCE
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1) Find that the recommended actions are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines per Section 15061 (b) (3), t.he "common sense" provision that CEQA only applies to projects that may have an effect on the environment; and 2) Authorize the City Manager to amend Contract No. 25,558 with the City of Los Angeles to add $298,830.50 for a not-to-exceed total of $878,330.50 and extend the term through June 30, 2024 to support the continued provision of Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)-funded rental assistance.
BACKGROUND:
The Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program was established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 1991 by the AIDS Housing Opportunities Act to provide support for housing assistance and services to low-income persons with HIV/AIDS and their families. The HOPWA program strategy is to allow .states and metropolitan areas that have a high incidence of AIDS cases to design long-term comprehensive strategies to meet the housing needs of persons with AIDS. HUD awards HOPWA funds to one government entity in each metropolitan area.
The City of Los Angeles is the coordinating agency administering HOPWA grant funds for all of Los Angeles County. The HOPWA program provides twelve months of rental assistance via a housing voucher to very low-income persons, both individuals and in families, diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Applicants are referred by the Foothill AIDS Project.
After the initial twelve months of assistance, program participants typically transition to the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) for ongoing rental assistance. The Department of Housing has administered the HOPWA tenant-based rental assistance program since 1995.
MEETING OF __ l _O_/ 0---'2_/ __ 2_..3~
Amendment to Contract No. 25,558
October 2, 2023
On September 20, 2021, City Council authorized Contract No. 25,558 with the City of Los Angeles to sustain the City's HOPWA program. Amendment of this contract will provide an additional $298,830.50 for a not-to-exceed total of $878,330.50 of HOPWA , tenant-based rental assistance (TBRA) funding for approximately nineteen new and ongoing very low-income households living with HIV/AIDS. As proposed, the contract term would be extended through June 30, 2024.
COUNCIL POLICY CONSIDERATION:
Approval of the subject recommendation has the potential to provide housing for approximately nineteen individuals/families living with HIV/AIDS. The proposed recommendation is in accordance with the approved General Plan Housing Element, Five-Year Consolidated Plan, and Five-Year Public Housing Authority Plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
The action proposed herein is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 (b)(3), the "General Rule" provision of CEQA which applies to projects which may have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. The amendment of a contract for HOPWA funding will not have a significant effect on the environment and, hence, is not subject to CEQA.
Amendment to Contract No. 25,558
October 2, 2023
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact to the Housing Department's FY 2024 Operating Budget as the funds are already included in the Department's budget. Approval of the recommended actions will amend Contract No. 25,558 with the City of Los Angeles to a not-to-exceed amount of $878,330.50.
Prepared by:
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Jennifer O'Reilly-Jones
Program Coordinator Ill
Approved by:
City Manager
Respectfully submitted,
W~l--~
WILLIAM K.HuANG (I--
Director of Housing