Community Development Agency
www.santa-ana.org/community-development
Item # 22
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
December 17, 2024
TOPIC: Street Outreach and Engagement Agreement with City Net
AGENDA TITLE
Agreement with City Net to Provide Street Outreach and Engagement Services for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness (Non-General Fund)
RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Kingdom Causes, Inc. dba City Net, in an annual amount not to exceed $3,750,420, for the Santa Ana Multidisciplinary Street Outreach and Engagement (SMART) Program to provide homeless outreach services and non-emergency, non-medical dispatch services for homeless-related calls, for a one-year term from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, with a one-year renewal option, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $7,500,840 for the entire agreement (Agreement No. 2024-XXX).
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute agreements required by state or federal agencies for the use of Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) funding, or for any additional funding that may become available.
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: Yes
DISCUSSION
On May 29, 2024, the City of Santa Ana (City) issued a Request for Proposal (RFP No. 24-079A) to retain services to provide Street Outreach and Engagement Services for Unhoused Individuals in the City. The RFP was posted on the City’s PlanetBids portal and organizations were notified who had expressed prior interest.
The City received three (3) proposals from Kingdom Causes (City Net), People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), and Volunteers of America (VOA). City staff conducted a minimum threshold review of the proposals to ensure compliance with RFP requirements. Following this review, staff formed a Review Panel consisting of staff from the Community Development Agency, City Manager’s Office, and the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD). Staff scored the proposals independently following interviews. The proposals were evaluated based solely on the five (5) evaluation criteria outlined in the RFP - Responsiveness to RFP, Experience of Firm and Personnel, Proposed Pricing, References, and Bonus Points for the Interviews conducted with City Net, PATH, and VOA. The RFP provided a structure so that proposal responses could be evaluated
Street Outreach and Engagement Agreement with City Net
December 17, 2024
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objectively and fairly. Following this review process City Net had the highest scores in all five (5) evaluation categories and the table below summarizes the results of the evaluation, providing the average score and ranking for the proposals.
Proposal Submitted By Average Score
City Net 110
PATH 102
Volunteers of America 99
City staff reviewed the current SMART program, analyzed outreach data from the past two years, assessed proposals, and considered new guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in the Grants Pass case, which underscores the importance of outreach services. The proposed 2025 Street Outreach Program integrates all of these factors into a recommendation to contract with the highest-scoring organization to deliver a street outreach program.
The City’s current contract with City Net provides a trauma informed, non-law enforcement, homeless outreach and engagement resource, known as SMART (Santa Ana’s Multi-Disciplinary Homeless Response Team). City Net responds to reports of non-criminal homeless-related activity identified through the MySantaAna app, the community call line, priority calls from City staff, and transfers from SAPD dispatch.
Case Managers additionally provide in-reach services in the City jail and provide case management services for individuals on the streets enrolled in their program. Outreach workers transport individuals to shelters, treatment facilities, appointments, and services to help with documents. Housing Navigators assist in matching clients to housing units.
The last contract approved by the City Council was on December 19, 2023, in the amount of $3,841,845.
City Net has been very accommodating to the City’s requests to add programming, such as conducting a local and updated Point-in-Time Count in October 2024 specifically for the city. This count was completed within the budget provided for the current contract’s financial agreement.
Several of the outreach reports involve individuals with high needs who frequently resist services, making them some of the most challenging cases. This issue can be mitigated through increased and/or sustained intervention, even after shelter placement, by closely partnering and collaborating with staff from the Carnegie Navigation Center (City Shelter). City Net will now implement a 'Shelter Retention and Re-Engagement Initiative' in conjunction with the City Shelter to engage with clients who have exited. This initiative aims to thoroughly assess the reasons for their exit and explore ways to re- engage them with the system or alternative support options.
City Net will respond to reports for street outreach, maintain case management services for the hundreds of individuals they currently have established relationships with, and staff a dispatch operation that reduces impact on emergency police and fire services.
The program hours will be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, with a total of ten teams in the field, Street Outreach and Engagement Agreement with City Net
December 17, 2024
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with dispatch staff that divert non-emergency calls from SAPD to City Net, and a Jail Release Program (see Exhibit C of the Agreement with City Net attached as Exhibit 1).
These services are critical because of cost savings that City Net staff provides to the SAPD for transferred phone calls for homeless related services. City Net staff also provide outreach workers who can connect homeless with services and have been able to connect with service resistant homeless and convince some to go into the City and County shelters.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
There is no environmental impact associated with this action.
FISCAL IMPACT
The current fiscal year funding for HHAP-3 Payment to Subagent (account no. 12218717-69135) and HHAP-4 Payment to Subagent account (no. 12218718-69135) is available in the FY 2024-25 budget. Any remaining balances not expended at the end of the fiscal year will be presented to the City Council for approval of carryovers for FY 2025-26.
The City has restricted funding as outlined in the HHAP grant program. Upon receipt, the award will be presented to the City Council for appropriation adjustment and posted to the appropriate account number.
Funds per fiscal year may vary based upon actual invoicing of hours, services worked, and funding availability. The City anticipates savings of up to $700,000 from the CY2024 agreement. These savings will decrease the City’s restricted funding obligation and be reflected after close-out of CY2024 invoicing.
Fiscal
Year
Accounting
Unit-Account
Fund
Description
Accounting Unit,
Account Description
Amount
FY24-25 12218717-
69135
Emergency and
Health Grants
HHAP 3 –
Payment to Subagent
$1,000,232
FY 24-25 12218718-
69135
Emergency and
Health Grants
HHAP 4 –
Payment to Subagent
$874,978
FY 25-26 12218718-
69135
Emergency and
Health Grants
HHAP 4 –
Payment to Subagent
$402,695
FY 25-26 122187xx-
69135
Emergency and
Health Grants
HHAP –
Payment to Subagent
$1,472,515
Total: $3,750,420
EXHIBIT(S)
1. Agreement with City Net
Submitted By: Michael L. Garcia, Executive Director of Community Development Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, City Manager