Agenda Item #12.1
For Council Meeting of: June 21, 2022
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: KATE GOLDFINE, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES OFFICER
HOUSING & COMMUNITY SERVICES
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF SECURE FAMILIES COLLABORATIVE GRANT AGREEMENT FOR FISCAL YEARS 2022/23 AND 2023/24 AGENDA ACTION: RESOLUTION
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended by the Housing & Community Services Department that the Council, by resolution, approve the grant agreement with Secure Families Collaborative for the period of July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2024, for a total amount not to exceed $200,000, including $100,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and $100,000 of City General Fund, to fund a youth immigration attorney.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Council has granted monies from the City General Fund to the Sonoma County Secure Families Collaborative (Secure Families Collaborative) since Fiscal Year (FY) 2018/19 to support legal deportation defense and other services to fire victims, youth, and families, for a total amount of $185,000 through June 30, 2022. On February 15, 2022, via resolution RES-2022-029, Council directed $100,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to the Secure Families Collaborative to fund a youth immigration attorney. Due to APRA guidelines, the City must establish an agreement with Secure Families Collaborative to ensure adherence to Federal provisions.
BACKGROUND
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors established the Sonoma County Secure Families Collaborative in 2018 to meet the needs of our immigrant community’s increased challenges due to the changes in federal immigration policy and the impacts of the North Bay wildfires. It is a trustee-advised fund of the Community Foundation of Sonoma County with a network of partners who provide pro-bono immigration legal services and wrap-around social services. Core partners include the University of San Francisco Immigration and Deportation Defense Clinic, Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Corazón and Queer Asylum and Accompaniment.
The Secure Families Collaborative has requested funding from the City each year since FY 2018/19. The City has contributed General Fund monies to the Secure Families Collaborative as follows:
Fiscal Year
Funding
FY 2018/19
$35,000
FY 2019/20
$50,000
FY 2020/21
$50,000
FY 2021/22
$50,000
Total Funding
$185,000
In July 2021, the Secure Families Collaborative requested additional funding of $100,000, specifically $50,000 a year for two years, to fund a youth immigration attorney to be placed with Legal Aid of Sonoma County (“Legal Aid”). The Secure Families Collaborative requested this funding in addition to the $50,000 they had received from the City General Fund since FY 2019/20.
In February 2022, Council directed $100,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to the Secure Families Collaborative specifically to fund a youth immigration attorney for two years ($50,000 each year). This is in addition to the annual $50,000 of City General Fund funding the Council has granted in the most recent three fiscal years.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
In FY 2018/19, Council granted $35,000 from the City General Fund to the Secure Families Collaborative, then called the Sonoma County Secure Families Fund during the Budget Hearings on June 19 and 20, 2018. It was determined at that time that no grant agreement was necessary because the funding was a donation. In fiscal years 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22, Council granted $50,000 each year of City General Fund funding to the Secure Families Collaborative, for a total amount of $185,000 through June 2022.
On February 15, 2022, via resolution RES-2022-029, Council directed $100,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to the Secure Families Collaborative specifically for a youth immigration attorney.
ANALYSIS
This agreement with Secure Families Collaborative allocates $50,000 of ARPA funding and $50,000 of General Fund funding, total $100,000, in Fiscal Year 2022/23 (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023); and $50,000 of ARPA funding and $50,000 of General Fund, total $100,000, in Fiscal Year 2023/24 (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024) contingent upon Council’s approval of each fiscal year budget and Secure Families Collaborative fulfillment of all grant agreement requirements.
The focus of the attorney funded by this grant agreement is to assist undocumented youth to achieve Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), which is a path to legalize status for minors who are single and under the age of 21 who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by at least one parent. Although some of these youth have DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, this is a temporary status, which does not lead to permanent legal status in the United States and is subject to change or termination at any time.
SIJS prevents a youth from being deported and makes them ultimately eligible to apply for a green card. In addition, once approved, these youth may receive work authorization, and are eligible to receive financial aid to attend college.
The project will provide full scope immigration legal services, including information and referral, counsel and advice, preparation of pleadings and immigration documents, and representation in administrative proceedings. A full -time attorney and bilingual caseworker will staff this project. In addition, Legal Aid will leverage its student intern program and policies and procedures manager to lend additional support. The youth immigration attorney will provide a direct point of access to all Legal Aid’s other services, including screening for rental housing issues, domestic violence, family law, guardianship, and debtor creditor relief.
Secure Families Collaborative and Legal Aid will engage in focused outreach to eligible youth at least once quarterly through community partnerships and collaboration with organizations that serve undocumented families. Outreach will occur at events such as health fairs, Black, Indigenous and People of Color student fairs, and events focused on serving Latino residents.
It is anticipated that 75-85 youth will be served, with the goal to file 50 SIJS cases and obtain SIJS status for up to 40 youth annually. Other goals include education of up to 150 youth about their legal rights through both individual advocacy and focused outreach.
Under the provisions of ARPA, the City must report quarterly upon expenditures and accomplishments of the organizations receiving funding, so City staff will be in regular contact with Secure Families Collaborative staff to collect this information.
FISCAL IMPACT
There will be a two-year impact to ARPA funds of $50,000 in FY 2022/23 and 2023/24, $100,000 total. APRA funding requires quarterly expense reporting.
There will be an annual impact to the City General Fund of $50,000 for two fiscal years, FY 2022/23 and FY 2023/24, $100,000 total. Prior to the addition of ARPA funding, the City did not contract with Secure Families Collaborative, but rather contributed City General Funds annually. The City could choose whether to continue that contribution upon conclusion of the ARPA funding and grant agreement.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This action is exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) and 15378 in that there is no possibility that the implementation of this action may have significant effects on the environment, and no further environmental review is required.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
n/a
NOTIFICATION
Margaret Flores McCabe, Executive Director, Secure Families Collaborative Maria Elena Valle, Executive Assistant, Secure Families Collaborative
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution/Exhibit A (Agreement)
CONTACT
Kate Goldfine, Administrative Services Officer, [email protected]; 543-3313 APPROVAL OF SECURE FAMILIES COLLABORATIVE GRANT AGREEMENT FOR FISCAL YEARS 2022/23 AND 2023/24 PAGE 3 OF 3