CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
December 18, 2023
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Anita Gutierrez, Acting 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 award a Professional Services Agreement with Volunteers of America, Los Angeles (VOALA) in the amount of $1,018,603 RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:
Adopt the following resolution:
RESOLUTION NO. 2023-236 - 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 Professional Services Agreement to Volunteers of America, Los Angeles (VOALA) in the amount of $1,018,603; and Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute all contracts, amendments and any 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 renewal of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) funding for Permanent Housing (PH) and Rapid Re-Housing (RRH). CoC awards include two Grants: Pomona Operation Porchlight (OPL) and the Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Program. This action will authorize the acceptance of $3,131,970 in CoC funding and authorize a professional services agreement with VOALA of which $1,018,603 of these funds will be awarded.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Adoption of Resolution No. 2023-236 (Attachment No. 1) authorizes the acceptance of two Continuum of Care (CoC) grant awards from HUD totaling $3,131,970 for the City’s Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Program and the Operation Porchlight Program (OPL). These amounts were approved as part of the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Adopted Budget. The PSH grant award is for $2,129,641 (218-1702/1791-4XXXX-00000), of which $114,841 will be allocated to administrative costs (218-1702-5XXXX-00000) and $2,014,800 will be allocated to the operation of the program (218-1791-5XXXX-00000). The funds for operation include an allocation to VOALA in the amount of $42,000 for a life skills program. The OPL grant award is for $1,002,329 (136-1791-4XXXXX-00000), of which $950,876 will be allocated to the program operation (136-1791-5XXXX-00000) and $51,453 to administrative costs (136-1702-5XXXX-00000). The administrative funds are divided between the City of Pomona and VOALA, whereas the entire operation funds are awarded to VOALA. The unspent balance will be carried over to the FY 2024-25 budget.
Continuum of Care (CoC) Program
Contract Number
Total Grant Award
VOALA Subcontract
Permanent Supportive Housing
CA0462L9D002215
$2,129,641
$42,000
RRH - Operation Porchlight
CA0358L9D002215
$1,002,329
$976,603
TOTAL
$3,131,970
$1,018,603
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 into a single grant program called the Continuum of Care (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 in order to; 1) to 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 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. The program is funded annually and the award varies based on the current fair market rents. This program assists homeless persons with permanent disabilities or families with an adult or child member with a permanent disability. The funding is awarded directly by HUD to the City and therefore contracts with HUD are required.
Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) emphasizes housing search, 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 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 once they are in housing. Working within a Coordinated Entry System (CES), staff will continue to develop rapport and encourage unhoused persons to accept shelter, housing and other supportive services.
HUD funds RRH through LAHSA, making the City a Subrecipient of LAHSA requiring a contract.
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 Services 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 2023, 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 effective January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024. The action taken by the City Council will accept these awards and will authorize 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 grants.
The City has Memorandum of Understanding Agreements for the CoC-Permanent Supportive Housing program with four homeless provider referral agencies. The four referral agencies are VOALA, Foothill Aids Project (FAP), Tri-City Mental Health (TCMH), and Prototypes. FAP is an organization whose mission is to improve the lives of those affected by HIV through comprehensive supportive services. TCMH is the mental health authority and primary provider of outpatient services for individuals experiencing mental health conditions in the three cities that make up the Tri-Cities, Pomona, La Verne, and Claremont. Prototypes supports women, children and communities impacted by substance use, mental illness and domestic violence. These agencies are responsible for identifying homeless persons with permanent disabilities, or families with an adult or child member with a permanent disability, and referring them for 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:
_________________________________
Genesis Hernandez
Housing Analyst
ATTACHMENT:
Attachment No. 1 – Resolution No. 2023-236
Acceptance of Continuum of Care Program Grant Funds