TO: HONORABLE MAYOR FROM: Jacky Morales-Ferrand
AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT: SEE BELOW DATE: January 31, 2022
Approved Date
2/2/2022
SUBJECT: FUNDING AWARD WITH GOODWILL OF SILICON VALLEY FOR THE
SAN JOSE BRIDGE PROGRAM
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution authorizing the Director of Housing to negotiate and execute an agreement with Goodwill of Silicon Valley in the amount of $2,850,000 from the American Recovery Plan Act and the Housing Trust Fund to operate the San José Bridge Program retroactive from December 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023.
OUTCOME
Approval of the recommended actions will create transitional and living wage employment opportunities for San José residents experiencing homelessness. The San José Bridge Program (SJ Bridge)
will employ up to 150 homeless individuals to combat blight and provide training, supportive services, and placement in living wage employment.
BACKGROUND
The 2019 biennial homeless census counted 6,097 homeless persons in San José of which 84% were unsheltered (living on the streets, in vehicles, in parks, in abandoned or storage structures, or in homeless encampments). In San José’s high cost housing market, obtaining living wage employment is critical in ensuring housing stability. The goal of a living wage is to allow employees to earn enough income for a satisfactory standard of living and prevent them from falling into poverty or homelessness.
COUNCIL AGENDA: 2/15/22
FILE: 22-150
ITEM: 8.2
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
January 31, 2022
Subject: Funding Award with Goodwill of Silicon Valley for the San José Bridge Program
The 2020-2025 Community Plan to End Homelessness in Santa Clara County identified three core strategies:
• Strategy 1: Address the root causes of homelessness through system and policy change; • Strategy 2: Expand homelessness prevention and housing programs; and • Strategy 3: Improve quality of life for unsheltered individuals and create healthy neighborhoods for all.
Advancing goals outlined in Strategy 1, SJ Bridge is designed to help homeless individuals in San José obtain access to living wage jobs. SJ Bridge is an employment program established in 2018 with local non-profit organizations under the Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) Department to create part-time job training positions removing litter and debris in designated areas of San José. Advancing goals outlined in Strategy 3, SJ Bridge will provide financial opportunities and improved living conditions for unsheltered individuals while at the same time improving the physical condition of park trails and other city right-of-ways, so they remain clean, well-maintained, and welcoming to all.
On March 16, 2021, the City Council approved the March Budget Message for Fiscal Year 2021- 2022
1, which expanded SJ Bridge to not only increase the number of participants to 100 but to transfer the program to the Housing Department and track progress in getting participants housed. On November 30, 2021, the City Council approved actions related to the COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Community and Economic Recovery Budget Adjustments2, which included allocating an additional $950,000 to the already approved $1.1 million ($800,000 for SJ Bridge was included within the BeautifySJ Consolidated model as the program was previously overseen by PRNS, and $300,000 was added to focus on park restrooms) for SJ Bridge to expand the transitional jobs program from 100 to 150 participants through June 30, 2023 using American Recovery Plan Act funds. Another $800,000 for this program is budgeted within the Housing Trust Fund. In addition, American Recovery Plan Act funds were allocated to offer housing solutions, including placement at the newest Emergency Interim Housing program and in Rapid Rehousing, to all SJ Bridge participants. Approval for the housing programs dedicated for SJ Bridge participants will come to City Council in the spring.
ANALYSIS
Request for Proposals
On August 20, 2021, the Housing Department released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for potential operators of SJ Bridge and the Emergency Interim Housing Programs with the intent for the two programs to work in collaboration. The RFP was available for six weeks, closing on October 1, 2021. The RFP allowed respondents to apply for one or both programs. Three
1 Mayor's March Budget Message for Fiscal Year 2021-2022 March 16, 2021 2 COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Community and Economic Recovery Budget Adjustments November 30, 2021
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
January 31, 2022
Subject: Funding Award with Goodwill of Silicon Valley for the San José Bridge Program
applications were received: two for SJ Bridge and one for Emergency Interim Housing services and operations.
An evaluation panel consisted of one Housing Department staff, one Department of Transportation staff, one PRNS staff, one representative from the Lived Experience Advisory Board (LEAB), and one representative from the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy. On October 12, 2021, the panel reviewed and rated the proposals based on standard evaluation criteria. The criteria for rating and selecting proposers is listed below:
CRITERIA POINTS
Program Narrative Maximum 35 points
Cultural Competence & Equitable Service
Delivery
Maximum 15 points
Organizational Capacity & Experience Maximum 25 points
Numerical Goals & Outcomes Maximum 15 points
Budget and Budget Narrative Maximum 10 points
TOTAL POINTS: 100
Current/Past Performance with City Contracts Maximum 5 points deducted from score.
Does not apply to organizations without
City contracts.
Audit Review Pass/Fail
The evaluation panel selected Goodwill of Silicon Valley (Goodwill) as the awardee for SJ Bridge. Goodwill, formerly Goodwill Industries of Santa Clara County, is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation founded in 1926 and serves Santa Clara and San Benito Counties. Its mission is to assist people to overcome their multiple or severe barriers to employment by providing a wide range of educational and vocational training along with employment placement support. Goodwill is part of Goodwill Industries International, a federation of over 200 autonomous, community-based Goodwill organizations worldwide. Taken together, they make up one of the largest social service organizations in the world, dedicated to serving their local communities. Currently, Goodwill operates thirteen program lines and centers including its retail program, contract and business services, e-commerce, vocational school, career development, new opportunity work, ASSET’s Youth, Homeless veterans reintegration, wellness center, good- health, supportive services for veterans and their families, expandability, and parole re-entry and veterans court employment. Goodwill has operated SJ Bridge since the program began in 2018 as the previous contractor with PRNS.
LifeMoves was selected as the Emergency Interim Housing Program operator. A formal Memorandum of Agreement will be executed to memorialize the partnership between Goodwill and LifeMoves to coordinate employment and housing for SJ Bridge participants. This report seeks approval of the SJ Bridge Program with Goodwill. The Housing Department will bring
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
January 31, 2022
Subject: Funding Award with Goodwill of Silicon Valley for the San José Bridge Program
forward a separate agreement this spring with LifeMoves for interim housing services.
LifeMoves will work with Goodwill to identify SJ Bridge participants, assess and enroll them in the new Emergency Interim Housing Program, or other LifeMoves shelters and motels, and jointly engage them in case management and other wrap-around services with the goal of moving them into stable employment and stable housing. Coupling housing and employment increases the likelihood that the SJ Bridge participants will be successful in achieving self-sufficiency.
Program Overview
SJ Bridge is focused on delivering effective supportive employment, flexibly addressing varying levels of job-readiness, promoting long-term housing stability and ending homelessness.
Participants are Goodwill employees. The SJ Bridge participants are engaged in paid work rapidly after enrollment to build their skills and confidence to be placed in living wage careers coupled with access to supportive services and housing.
SJ Bridge will rapidly employ up to 150 homeless individuals in a 15-week program to help stabilize them, link them to housing and other resources, and create pathways for self-sufficiency through job training. Initially, participants work part time at 20 hours per week, while also actively engaging in other training and development aspects of SJ Bridge leading to living wage employment. The ability of the job seeker to make this transition is critical to getting and keeping a job that offers a living wage, but also a career. In partnership with LifeMoves, the selected operator for the Guadalupe Emergency Interim Housing (previously referred to as “Lot E”), SJ Bridge participants will have direct access to interim housing and other housing opportunities. LifeMoves and Goodwill will have a memorandum of agreement formalizing their partnership and referral process for SJ Bridge participants. This partnership allows each agency to focus on their expert service area, ensuring individuals move to living wage employment and stable housing.
Eligible SJ Bridge participants are homeless men and women who are capable, willing, and physically able to meet job description requirements. Preference will be given to those individuals living in pre-determined targeted homeless encampments in San José, including the Guadalupe River Park area.
The Housing Department and Goodwill are committed to providing high quality programs and services that align with the Community Plan to End Homelessness, our regions strategic framework. Program services will be delivered in alignment with the County of Santa Clara’s Continuum of Care’s supportive housing system, coordinated entry, and Homeless Management Information System data collection and protocols. Additionally, the program will provide services in alignment with the Continuum of Care’s Quality Assurance Standards, including but not limited to Housing First approaches, protection of participant choice, cultural competency, and equal access regardless of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, marital status, race or ethnicity. By aligning with these systems, this ensures that eligible participants qualify for the broadest level of services and housing.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
January 31, 2022
Subject: Funding Award with Goodwill of Silicon Valley for the San José Bridge Program
Program Design
Using one-time American Recovery Plan Act funds, supplemented with funds from the Housing Trust Fund, SJ Bridge program services will focus on rapid placements in housing and transitional employment and then once stabilized, training and living wage career placement.
SJ Bridge participants are employees of Goodwill, compensated at $18.50 per hour for work on Litter Clean-up Crews performing beautification activities throughout neighborhoods and parks in San José. In partnership with the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy, crews will also provide assistance maintaining the trails and parks of the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens. Under SJ Bridge, a Public Restroom Attendant Program will be piloted to provide a presence at designated restroom locations to mitigate unwanted use, prevent damage, maintain cleanliness, and restock materials. Goodwill shall submit regular reports to the Housing Department showing performance of all actions within the program including but not limited to before and after photographs, the number of trash bags filled, and pounds of debris removed.
Goodwill will coordinate all cleanup activities with key stakeholders. SJ Bridge cleanup routes are developed and agreed upon between City departments of Housing, PRNS, and Transportation. The work is also coordinated with BeautifySJ and homeless outreach teams, Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful, South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition, the Trash Punx, Guadalupe River Park Conservancy, and other partners as specified by the Housing Department. The Public Restroom Attendant Pilot Program will share coordination with the departments of PRNS and Housing with the intent to circumvent public health risks and nuisance and reduce blight.
SJ Bridge participants enrolled in the rapid employment programs will receive housing and job training support tailored to meet participant needs, strengths, abilities, and desires. After two weeks of successful program engagement, assigned case managers and program participants will work to develop and manage individualized plans for housing and long-term employment placement. Goodwill uses numerous staff, training services, workshops, and tools to support participant goals. Additionally, SJ Bridge case managers will coordinate with the case managers from the Emergency Interim Housing, Rapid Rehousing and other housing programs to coordinate and case conference to ensure participant success, stability, and self-sufficiency.
Goodwill will submit regular reports to the Housing Department tracking housing placements.
Additional information on the SJ Bridge Program design can be reviewed in Attachment A.
Path to Living Wage and Permanent Housing
The program addresses two interrelated structural issues: low job quality and lack of affordable housing. SJ Bridge provides the skills and training needed when transitioning into permanent employment with a goal of moving into permanent housing. From experience, Goodwill offers $18.50 per hour to all SJ Bridge participants throughout the first phase, “Rapid Employment and Career Training”, enrollment. The initial starting salary is $18.50 per hour and is considered a sustainable wage when starting an entry level position, especially when coupled with supportive housing opportunities such as Emergency Interim Housing or Rapid Rehousing. Currently,
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
January 31, 2022
Subject: Funding Award with Goodwill of Silicon Valley for the San José Bridge Program
minimum wage in San José is $16.20 per hour. A participant in the rapid employment program can afford an affordable studio apartment rented at 30% of the area median income, $907 a month. The partnership with LifeMoves, providing interim housing and support to find stable housing, is critical in order to achieve the dual goal of increasing wages and moving to stable housing.
The goal throughout the second phase, “Career Training and Placement”, is to transition employees to a living wage, which is $24.07 per hour if health benefits are offered or $25.31 per hours if health benefits are not offered. SJ Bridge participants must work to earn the living wage by staying on the career track, incorporating skills learned during the program, and continuing job training and the employability workplace behaviors that lead to job retention. The model focuses more on the acceptance of growth and empowers each participant to continue to work and earn a living wage over time. The starting wage for SJ Bridge participants was set to motivate program participants and encourage continued development and growth to earn a living wage.
CONCLUSION
The actions recommended in this memorandum will implement an expanded and enhanced SJ Bridge Program with Goodwill, provide rapid transitional employment to beautify San José, offer training and living wage career placement and provide access to housing options, in coordination with LifeMoves, for up to 150 homeless San José residents.
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
Updates on SJ Bridge will be provided in the Housing Department’s annual report on homeless programs.
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSE
The recommendation in this memorandum has no direct effect on Climate Smart San José energy, water, or mobility goals, but does improve the overall community environment, which is part of Pillars 1 and 2.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
This memorandum will be posted on the City's Council Agenda website for the February 15, 2022 City Council Meeting.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
January 31, 2022
Subject: Funding Award with Goodwill of Silicon Valley for the San José Bridge Program
COORDINATION
The memorandum was coordinated with the Department of Transportation, PRNS, the City Attorney’s Office, and the City Manager’s Budget Office.
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION/INPUT
At the April 8, 2021 Housing and Community Development Commission meeting, the Commission passed (6-3) the Housing Trust Fund Expenditure Plan for FY 2021-22, which included a funding allocation for the SJ Bridge Program.
COST SUMMARY/IMPLICATIONS
1. AMOUNT OF RECOMMENDATION:
PROPOSED USES AMOUNT
SJ Bridge Employment Programs $2,850,000
2. SOURCE OF FUNDING: American Recovery Plan (402), Housing Trust Fund (440)
3. FISCAL IMPACT: This action will enable the funding of a $2,850,000 agreement with Goodwill of Silicon Valley to fund career training, placement, and rapid employment programs. There are no on-going fiscal impacts to the General Fund as a result of the actions recommended in this memorandum.
BUDGET REFERENCE
Fund # Appn # Appn. Name
Total
Appn.
Amt. for
Contract
Adopted
Operating
Budget
Page
Last Budget
Action (Date,
Ord. No.)
402 219I Beautify SJ and
Encampment
Waste Pick Up
– San José
Bridge
$4,000,000 $2,050,000 N/A 11/30/21
Ord. 30693
440 2453 Housing and
Homeless
Projects
$3,581,879 $800,000 977 12/14/21
Ord. 30704
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
January 31, 2022
Subject: Funding Award with Goodwill of Silicon Valley for the San José Bridge Program
CEQA
Not a Project, File No. PP17-009, Agreements/Contracts (New or Amended) resulting in no physical changes to the environment; and File No. PP17-004, Government Funding Mechanism or Fiscal Activity with no commitment to a specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment.
/s/
JACKY MORALES-FERRAND
Director, Housing
The primary authors of this memorandum are Alejandra Tlalli-Miles and Nathaniel Montgomery from the Homelessness Response Team. For questions, please contact Kelly Hemphill, Homelessness Response Manager, at [email protected] .
Attachment A: SJ Bridge Program Design
AT
TACHMENT A
S
J Bridge Program Design
Rapid Employment Programs
Litter Clean-up
Crews Program
• SJ Bridge employees are assigned 4-hour shifts (20 hours a week) • Crews consist of 3-6 members in each shift (morning and afternoon) • SJ Bridge employees of Goodwill are paid $18.50 per hour • Activities include but are not limited to the removal and disposal of litter and debris, including paper, plastic, wood pieces, glass, shopping carts, furniture, mattresses, shopping carts, auto parts, tires, leaves, tree limbs, pine needles, pinecones, etc.
• City Departments of Housing, Transportation, and PRNS to identify locations where services can be provided and determine routes • Coordinate routes and activities with BeautifySJ, homeless outreach teams, Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful, South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition, the Trash Punx, and other partners as specified by the City • Guadalupe River Park Conservancy clean-up and beautification activities, including park and trail planting management, light landscaping, graffiti removal, maintenance of Guadalupe River Park assets and furnishings
• Crews wear clothing/identification indicating they are employed by SJ Bridge, adhere to all safety protocols, and participate in job and safety related trainings
Public Restroom
Attendant Pilot
Program
• Pilot in public park restrooms, such as Columbus Park, Arena Green, McEnery Park, and/or the Guadalupe River Park
• Clean, monitor, restock materials and maintain public bathrooms and en
sure public access
• Provide a presence in designated restrooms so users feel safe and may m
itigate unwanted uses or damages
• Coordi nation with P RNS with the intent to circumvent public health risks and nuisance and reduce blight of public urination and defecation • Employees wear clothing/identification indicating they are employed by S
J Bridge, adhere to all safety and cleaning protocols, and participate in job and safety related trainings
Performance • Meetings with the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy to ensure coordination of services, discuss any needed changes, and make any updates to services and sites as relevant
• Training and management of cleanliness rating in targeted service areas; maintain before and after photographs
• Track trash and debris collected
• Track housing placements
• Track wage and hours worked
• Track additional benefits received such as health insurance. • Job retention
Career Training and Placement
Assessment • After two weeks working in Rapid Employment Programs, employees will be assessed on skills
• Assigned a case manager
• Creation of personal vocational service and sustainability plans to assess strengths, abilities, and desires
• Goal setting to align with career training and permanent employment placement, including skills needed to enter career training, removal of barriers to employment, connection to job readiness resources • Job Developer will work with the business community to identify matches
Workshops • Resume writing
• Individualized job search
• Interview preparation and communication
• Mock interviews
Supportive Services • SJ Bridge participants meet regularly with assigned Case Manager to monitor services plans
• Case Managers assist with housing sustainability plans to include budgeting and long-term income planning
• Regular coordination and case conferencing with the Emergency Interim Housing and/or Rapid Rehousing Case Managers
Performance • Permanent employment retention at 90, 180, and 365 days post program graduation
• Track number of Goodwill employees transitioning from the rapid employment program
• Track participants earning living wage
• Track increase in well-being through employment and housing at program exit
• Track attendance and engagement in career training activities