Community Development Agency
www.santa-ana.org/cd
Item # 20
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
December 2, 2025
TOPIC: First Amendments to Fiscal Year 2025-26 Emergency Solutions Grant Subrecipient Agreements and MOU with the Santa Ana Police Department
AGENDA TITLE
First Amendments to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26 Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Subrecipient Agreements with Orange County United Way and WISEPlace, and a First Amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding with the Santa Ana Police Department
RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Authorize the City Manager to execute a First Amendment to increase the annual amount of the FY 2025-26 ESG Subrecipient Agreement with WISEPlace to serve additional Santa Ana residents experiencing homelessness by $15,197, for a new annual amount not to exceed $72,197 for the current contract term expiring June 30, 2026 (Agreement No. A-2025-XXX).
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute a First Amendment to increase the annual amount of the FY 2025-26 ESG Subrecipient Agreement with the Orange County United Way for Homeless Management Information System data management by $15,197, for a new annual amount not to exceed $73,343 for the current contract term expiring June 30, 2026 (Agreement No. A-2025-XXX).
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute a First Amendment to increase the annual amount of the FY 2025-26 ESG Subrecipient Agreement with the Santa Ana Police Department for the Homeless Evaluation Assessment Response Team Program to serve additional Santa Ana residents experiencing homelessness through street outreach and engagement by $15,197 for a new total annual amount not to exceed $72,082 for the current contract term expiring June 30, 2026 (Agreement No. A-2025- XXX).
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: Yes
DISCUSSION
The Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program is an annual allocation of funds that the City receives from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist both sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals, as well as those
First Amendments to FY 2025-26 ESG Subrecipient Agreements and MOU with SAPD December 2, 2025
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at-risk of homelessness, enabling them to swiftly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness. Recipients of ESG Program funding in Orange County include the following entitlement jurisdictions: the County of Orange, City of Anaheim, City of Irvine, City of Santa Ana, and City of Garden Grove.
Collectively, this group is referred to as the Orange County ESG Collaborative that was formed over ten years ago. HUD provides Santa Ana and these other jurisdictions with ESG Program funds to address homelessness under the federal Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009.
On June 3, 2025, the City Council approved the FY 2025-26 ESG Program Funding Plan. Specifically, City Council authorized the City Manager to prepare and approve FY 2025-26 ESG Subrecipient Agreements with five nonprofit organizations and a Memorandum of Understanding with the Santa Ana Police Department as part of the FY 2025-26 ESG Program Funding Plan to provide shelter, outreach, and support services to Santa Ana residents experiencing homelessness (Exhibit 1). The City's ESG allocation for FY 2025-26 is $377,331. The FY 2025-26 ESG Program Funding Plan includes funding for five homeless service providers (Interval House, Covenant House, Volunteers of America Los Angeles, WISEPlace, and Orange County United Way) and the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) Homeless Evaluation Assessment Response Team (HEART) Program. The FY 2025-26 ESG Program Funding Plan was based upon applications received by the ESG Collaborative during the 2019 Request for Proposals process, taking into account performance metrics and current needs as identified by staff.
At the close of FY 2024-25, there was $45,591 in unspent funds from ESG Program subrecipients available for redistribution. These funds were a result of prior year ESG Program subrecipients not fully expending their funding in FY 2024-25. Staff recommends reallocating this balance of $45,591 in FY 2024-25 unspent funds to WISEPlace, the Orange County United Way, and the SAPD HEART Program to expand services for people experiencing homelessness. Specifically, staff are recommending reallocating $15,197 to WISEPlace, $15,197 to the Orange County United Way, and $15,197 to the SAPD HEART Program. These recommendations were based upon performance metrics and current needs as identified by staff.
The additional $15,197 recommended for WISEPlace will expand shelter and support services to survivors of domestic violence from the City of Santa Ana for a new total contract amount of $72,197 (Exhibit 2). For FY 2025-26, WISEPlace received $57,000 in ESG Program funds from the City to provide trauma-informed care and services to unaccompanied women experiencing homelessness. The organization provides case management, employment support, and financial empowerment to women from age 18 to 65 and older. The women served include young women leaving foster care, those who have suffered from domestic violence or human trafficking, those who experienced a financial catastrophe, or women recovering from drug abuse, alcohol abuse, or incarceration. WISEPlace’s rapid rehousing services include case management, financial empowerment curriculum, housing search support and placement, financial support, First Amendments to FY 2025-26 ESG Subrecipient Agreements and MOU with SAPD December 2, 2025
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such as deposit assistance, security deposits, help with moving costs, and utilities. The additional $15,197 will allow WISEPlace to expand their shelter and support services that they currently provide to survivors of domestic violence from the City of Santa Ana.
The additional $15,197 recommended for the Orange County United Way will expand Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data management support to Santa Ana ESG funded subrecipients through trainings, reporting, and data performance accountability for a new total contract amount of $73,343 (Exhibit 3). For FY 2025-26, the Orange County United Way received $58,146 in ESG Program funds from the City to facilitate HMIS coordination, communication, training, and technical assistance of Santa Ana ESG subrecipients to ensure adherence to data quality, supporting the City's efforts to fully comply with the HEARTH Act of 2009. Orange County United Way provides user meetings, performs agency audits, provides training/technical assistance, runs data quality reports to post online, completes project set-ups, and updates the dashboard on a monthly basis. The additional $15,197 will allow the Orange County United Way to expand their HMIS data management support to Santa Ana ESG funded subrecipients.
The additional $15,197 recommended for the SAPD HEART Program will serve additional Santa Ana residents experiencing homelessness through street outreach and engagement for a new total MOU amount of $72,082 (Exhibit 4). For FY 2025-26, the SAPD HEART Program received $56,885 in ESG Program funds from the City to conduct proactive outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness. Officers connect individuals to emergency shelters such as the Carnegie Shelter and Yale Navigation Center and coordinate transportation and mental health services through the Orange County Psychiatric Emergency Response Team team. To reduce homelessness and promote long-term stability, focused on a housing-first approach, efforts are targeted in areas impacted by calls for service, community complaints, and visible encampments. The additional $15,197 will allow the SAPD HEART Program to serve additional Santa Ana residents experiencing homelessness through street outreach and engagement.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for HUD-Emergency Solutions Grant – Payment to Subagent account (no. 13518785-69135) was appropriated in the prior fiscal year. Unspent amounts from Fiscal Year 2024-25 were part of the City’s carryover request to Fiscal Year 2025-26 approved by City Council on October 7, 2025.
Any remaining balance not expended at the end of the fiscal year will be presented to the City Council for approval of carryovers to Fiscal Year 2026-27.
Fiscal Year Accounting
Unit-Account
Fund
Description
Accounting Unit,
Account Description
Amount
FY 2025-26 13518785-
61040
HUD-Emergency
Solutions Grant
HUD-Emergency
Solutions Grant,
Overtime
$15,197
First Amendments to FY 2025-26 ESG Subrecipient Agreements and MOU with SAPD December 2, 2025
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FY 2025-26 13518785-
69135
HUD-Emergency
Solutions Grant
HUD-Emergency
Solutions Grant,
Payment to Subagent
$30,394
Total: $45,591
EXHIBIT(S)
1. Staff Report from June 3, 2025
2. First Amendment to Subrecipient Agreement with WISEPlace
3. First Amendment to Subrecipient Agreement with Orange County United Way
4. First Amendment to Memorandum of Understanding with SAPD HEART Program Submitted By: Michael L. Garcia, Executive Director – Community Development Agency Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, City Manager