CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
February 28, 2022
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: James Makshanoff, City Manager
Submitted By: Benita DeFrank, Neighborhood Services Director SUBJECT: Authorizing the AWARD OF A CONTRACT TO VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA (VOALA) TO OPERATE MOTEL VOUCHER PROGRAM AND RAPID REHOUSING (RRH) PROGRAM PROVIDING HOUSING SERVICES TO HOMELESS Pomona RESIDENTS WITH COVID HIGH-RISK CONDITIONS FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $906,288 RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:
Approve a retroactive contract based on the COVID Emergency Proclamation with Volunteers of America to operate Motel Voucher Program and Rapid Rehousing Program, from January 1, 2022 to September 30, 2022 for a total amount not to exceed $906,288.
Authorize the City Manager to execute contract award, amendment, and other documentation, upon approval of the City Attorney.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Approval of this action would allow the City to execute a retroactive contract with Volunteers of America (VOALA) for a total amount not to exceed $906,288 for the term of January 1, 2022, to September 30, 2022. The approval of this action will provide Pomona families residing in motels with continuous shelter remaining in a safe and healthy environment. VOALA will provide onsite monitoring, case management, and housing navigation services for Pomona residents participating in Motel Voucher Programs with COVID high-risk conditions. As the L.A. County Pomona Project RoomKey site operator and the City’s Rapid Rehousing contracted service provider, VOALA has established an ongoing relationship with various motels in the area and the current motel participants, which has positioned VOALA to provide timely and responsive services in Pomona during the COVID-19 crisis. Approval of this action will supersede Council action Resolution No. 2021-32.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The contract funds were approved as part of the Fiscal Year 2021-22 Amended Budget by the City Council and are available for this project as follows:
Project
Account No.
Amount
ESG CV1 Funds - Rapid Rehousing Project RoomKey
193-1791-52285-63228
$166,218
ESG CV2 Funds – Motel Voucher Program
193-1791-52285-63229
$696,914
ESG CV2 Funds – Administration
193-1702-52285-00000
$43,156
TOTAL
$906,288
PREVIOUS RELATED ACTION:
On July 20, 2020 and September 21, 2020, City Council approved resolutions amending the Consolidated Plan, FY 2020-21 Annual Action Plan and the FY 2020-21 City Operating Budget by increasing revenue estimates, appropriations and recommendations for CARES Act (COVID-19) funding, including Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG-CV) program funds.
DISCUSSION:
Background
In May 2020, the Project Roomkey (PRK) program was launched in Pomona at Motel 6 on South Garey Avenue. PRK is a collaborative effort by the State, County, and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to secure hotel and motel rooms for vulnerable people experiencing homelessness. It provided a way for people who did not have a home to stay inside in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The PRK protected high-risk individuals, prevented the spread of the virus in our communities, and protected our hospitals and healthcare system's capacity.
On February 5, 2021, the County of Los Angeles officially demobilized the Pomona Motel 6 PRK, including the relocation of the non-Pomona residents to other areas within the County of Los Angeles. The City of Pomona has assumed responsibility for providing temporary and permanent housing services to approximately 40 PRK Pomona residents who had a nexus to Pomona before entering the PRK. These individuals will remain at the Motel 6 Pomona to receive temporary housing, case management, and permanent housing navigation services through our new City of Pomona Recovery Housing Program.
The County of Los Angeles selected Volunteers of America (VOALA), one of our most prominent homeless service providers in Pomona, to manage and operate the Pomona PRK. VOALA has worked closely with the County of Los Angeles, Public Health Department, City of Pomona and Pomona Community partners such as East Valley Community Health Center (EVCHC) and Tri-City Mental Health Services (Tri-City) to provide services to the residents in the PRK program. VOALA has established an ongoing relationship with the individuals residing at Motel 6 Pomona and the motel management team during the COVID-19 crisis. As such, it is not realistic nor reasonably feasible for the City to initiate a formal RFP process for COVID Rapid Rehousing services given the short timeline and the need to continue providing services to the individuals currently residing at the Motel 6 Pomona. The retroactive contract term will be from January 1, 2022, to September 30, 2022. At the close of the City’s annual CoC Operation Porchlight Rapid Rehousing contract, there were families still in need of assistance. The City continued to contract with VOALA to ensure the families had services even though an exact funding amount had not been given. The approval of this action will award the funding to provide Pomona families residing in motels with continuous shelter, retroactively to January 1, 2022.
Emergency Shelter – COVID Motel Voucher Program
Families experiencing homelessness with high-risk COVID conditions in Pomona will receive motel vouchers on an as-needed basis. Families receiving motel vouchers will receive case management, housing navigation services and remain onsite until one of the following housing solutions is accomplished:
Individuals have achieved permanent housing via City of Pomona Rapid Rehousing (RRH) programs, Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), or Pomona Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.
Individuals requiring long-term case management and support to address complex barriers preventing them from securing housing (such as evictions or no immigration or residency documentation) may need to transition to other interim housing solutions suitable for families.
Rapid Rehousing
Rapid Rehousing (RRH) emphasizes housing search and relocation services and short-and medium-term rental assistance to move homeless persons and families as rapidly as possible into permanent housing. As a best practice, RRH appears to have encouraging outcomes such as decreased length of homelessness, fewer returns to homelessness, lower costs per household than other interventions, and decreased homelessness in communities. A key element of RRH is the “Housing First” philosophy, which offers housing without preconditions such as employment, income, good credit, or sobriety. If issues such as these need to be addressed, the household can address them most effectively once they are in housing. Working within a Coordinated Entry System (CES), staff will continue developing rapport and encouraging homeless persons to accept shelter, housing, and other support services.
COUNCIL PRIORITIES & GOALS: This item supports City Council Goal K: - to reduce the unsheltered homeless population by 10% annually and take actions to mitigate the impacts of homelessness on the community.
Prepared by:
_________________________________
Donyielle Holley
Homeless Programs Supervisor
Award COVID ESG CV Motel Voucher Program & Rapid Rehousing Funds to VOALA