CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
December 05, 2022
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: James Makshanoff, City Manager
Submitted By: Benita De Frank, Neighborhood Services Director SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the Acceptance of TWO Continuum of Care Grant Awards from The Department of Housing and Urban development (HUD) Totaling $3,131,970, and a Professional Services Agreement with Volunteers of America, Los Angeles in the amount of $1,018,603 RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the following resolution:
Adopt the following resolution:
RESOLUTION NO. 2022-218 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, Authorizing the Acceptance of TWO Continuum of Care Grant Awards from HUD Totaling $3,131,970.
Award a professional services agreement to Volunteers of America, Los Angeles (VOALA) in the amount of $1,018,603.
Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute appropriate contracts and other documentation requested for acceptance of the award and operation of the above listed Continuum of Care Programs for submission to funders, subject to approval as to form by the City Attorney.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Each year the City of Pomona applies for annual renewal of HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) program funding for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and Rapid Re-Housing (RRH). CoC awards include two Grants: Pomona Operation Porchlight-Rapid Rehousing (OPL) and the PSH Programs. This action will authorize the acceptance of $3,131,970 in CoC funding and authorize a professional services agreement with VOALA for $1,018,603 of these funds as a subrecipient of the grant award.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Adoption of Resolution No. 2022-218 (Attachment No.1) approving the acceptance of two grant awards from HUD totaling $3,131,970, will increase revenue for the City’s Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Program and the Operation Porchlight Program (OPL). The first grant award is for $2,129,641, of which $2,014,800 will be allocated to the operation of the program (218-1791-XXXXX-00000) and $114,841 to administrative costs (218-1702-XXXXX-00000). The second grant award is for $1,002,329 and will be allocated to CoC Operation Porchlight Program (OPL) of which $950,876 will be allotted to the program operation (136-1791-XXXXX-00000) and $51,453 to administrative costs (136-1702-XXXXX-00000). The unspent balance will be carried over to the fiscal year 2023-24 budget.
DISCUSSION:
Background
The HEARTH Act enacted into law on May 20, 2009, consolidated three of the separate homeless assistance programs administered by HUD under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (McKinney-Vento) into a single grant program called the CoC Program. The HEARTH Act also codified into law the CoC planning process. As part of the planning process, one entity per planning area was identified as the CoC Collaborative Applicant. For Los Angeles County, the CoC Collaborative Applicant is the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). Eligible applicants consisting of nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and public housing agencies, must be designated by the CoC to submit an application to HUD for grant funds. The City of Pomona and the Pomona Housing Authority have been designated by LAHSA to submit two grant applications annually for renewal of two different CoC programs.
The Continuum of Care Program
The CoC Program is designed to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness and to provide the services needed to help such individuals move into transitional and permanent housing, with the goal of long-term stability. More broadly, the CoC Program is designed to promote community-wide planning and strategic use of resources to address homelessness to: 1) improve coordination and integration with mainstream resources and other programs targeted to people experiencing homelessness; 2) to improve data collection and performance measurement; and 3) allow each community to tailor its programs to the particular strengths and challenges in assisting homeless individuals and families within that community.
Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Re-Housing
Permanent Housing (PH) is defined as community-based housing, without a designated length of stay, in which formerly homeless individuals and families live as independently as possible. The program funds two types of permanent housing, permanent supportive housing for persons with disabilities and rapid re-housing. The Pomona Housing Authority’s PSH program is funded under the CoC program, providing indefinite rental assistance paired with supportive services. The program is funded annually and the award varies as it is based on the current fair market rents. This program assists homeless persons with disabilities or families with an adult or child member with a disability. The PSH funding is awarded directly by HUD to the City and therefore contracts with HUD are required.
Rapid Re-Housing (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 to develop a rapport and encourage homeless persons to accept shelter, housing and other support services. RRH funding is funded by HUD, through LAHSA, therefore the City is a subrecipient of LAHSA and a contract with LAHSA for this funding is necessary.
Volunteers of America, Los Angeles
Volunteers of America, Los Angeles (VOALA) is one of our most prominent homeless service providers in Pomona. They were selected by the County of Los Angeles to manage and operate the Pomona Project Roomkey launched as an effort to prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19. They are the site operators for the Hope for Home Service Center. VOALA has established an ongoing relationship with individuals and families experiencing homelessness and provide ongoing case management, housing navigation and life skills training. Therefore making them a qualified subrecipient for the Professional Services Agreement.
In June 2022, the City was informed that once again it had been granted renewal funding by HUD in the total amount of $3,131,970 for the two CoC programs. The action taken by City Council will accept these awards and will authorize a Professional Services Agreements with VOALA for $1,018,603 of these funds. VOALA was written into the grant application as a sub-recipient in both of these grants.
The award amounts in each category are as follows:
Continuum of Care (CoC) Program
Contract Number
Total Grant Award
VOALA Subcontract
Permanent Supportive Housing
CA0462L9D002114
$2,129,641
$ 42,000
RRH - Operation Porchlight
CA0358L9D002114
$1,002,329
$976,603
TOTAL
$3,131,970
$1,018,603
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:
_________________________________
Genesis Hernandez
Housing Analyst
ATTACHMENT:
Attachment No. 1 – Resolution No. 2022-218
Acceptance of Continuum of Care Program Grant Funds