July 26, 2022
Community Development
DATE: July 26, 2022
TO: Mayor Butt and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Lina Velasco, Director of Community Development
Jesus Morales, Housing Manager
Subject:
Contract for Castro Encampment Resolution Project
Manager
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no impact to the General Fund related to this contract. The contract will be funded by an Encampment Resolution Funding grant from the California Interagency Council on Homelessness.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
April 5, 2022
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
On April 5, 2022, the City Council accepted and
appropriated a $4.8 Million Encampment Resolution
Funding grant from the Interagency Council on
Homelessness to assist the City in providing services to support people living at the Castro Encampment onto
paths to safe and stable housing and result in sustainable restoration of this Bay Trail segment. City staff issued a Request for Qualifications for a Project Manager and is recommending a contract with Way2Love Inc., in the
amount of $235,000, for a term ending June 30, 2024.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE a contract with Way2Love, Inc., in an amount
not to exceed $235,000, for a term beginning July 26,
2022, and ending June 30, 2024, to provide project
management services for the Castro Encampment
Resolution Project to be funded by the City’s Encampment Resolution Funding grant – Community Development (Lina
Velasco 620-6841/Jesus Morales 620-6649).
AGENDA
REPORT
July 26, 2022
DISCUSSION:
In December 2021, the City applied for Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) seeking resources from the State of California to fund a local demonstration project, which would provide services to address the immediate crisis of experiencing unsheltered homelessness in encampments; support people living in encampments onto paths to safe and stable housing; and result in sustainable restoration of public spaces to their intended uses while safeguarding the needs of unhoused people seeking shelter.
Applications were required to focus on one encampment site. City staff selected the Castro Encampment for this funding application.
On February 24, 2022, the City was provided a notice of intent to award the ERF. The City Council accepted and appropriated the grant funds on April 5, 2022.
Summary of Richmond’s Castro Encampment Resolution Project The Castro Encampment Resolution Project (CERP) will include resources to hire an ERF Project Manager who will lead management of the project and oversee the Castro Site Care Team (SCT), which will include a Site Manager, Housing Navigator, a project- specific CORE team (comprised of an outreach specialist and social worker), and other service providers working directly with encampment residents to triage and ensure services are timely, responsive, coordinated, trauma-informed, and achieving goals and objectives.
The CERP encompasses an 18-month plan to deliver an array of supportive services to 100+ individuals currently living at the Castro vehicle encampment near Castro and Hensley Streets. The project aims to move all encampment residents into stable housing by June 2023. CERP’s goals and objectives will be met in stages that include:
1) improving living conditions at the site, 2) assessing the behavioral and health needs of residents, 3) reducing barriers to stable housing and support, and 4) providing job- related training. Grounded in Housing First principles, CERP is anticipated to be an innovative model whose successes—and challenges—will be continuously evaluated, so that the approach can be refined and replicated throughout the State. A third-party evaluator will be brought in to support the assessment and evaluation of the CERP.
The CERP Project Manager will serve as the day-to-day project manager, under the direction of the City’s Housing Manager. The CERP Project Manager will lead the coordination of the Site Care Team, lead in the preparation of Request for Qualifications/Proposals (RFQ/Ps) to solicit bids from service providers, engage with surrounding area residents and businesses, engage encampment residents in program development and execution, complete required grant reporting, oversee the sunset of the encampment by rehousing residents, and restoration of the site to its original use.
The City issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) on June 3, 2022, via the City BidsOnline system, seeking a CERP Project Manager. The City notified 349 vendors and there were 17 prospective bidders. Responses to the RFQ were due on June 30,
July 26, 2022
2022, and two responses were received. Submittals were reviewed by City Community Development staff and a representative from Contra Costa County Health, Housing, & Homeless Services. Effort was made to include, as part of the review, a resident with lived experience, but they cancelled their participation the day before the interviews.
Two interviews were held with each respondent, conducted on July 11 and 12, 2022.
Based on the respondents’ submittals to the RFQ and the interviews held, Way2Love, Inc., was the highest ranked respondent. Therefore, Housing staff is recommending that the Council award the contract for the CERP Project Manager to Way2Love, Inc., for up to $235,000, for a term ending on June 30, 2024.
CONCLUSION:
The ERF Project Manager is needed to ensure timely management of services and implementation of the Castro Encampment Resolution project.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Contract
Attachment 2 – Request for Qualifications
Attachment 3 – BidsOnline Report