Agenda Item #12.4
For Council Meeting of: July 11, 2023
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MEGAN BASINGER, DIRECTOR
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
SUBJECT: ACCEPTANCE AND APPROPRIATION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA’S BUSINESS, CONSUMER SERVICES AND HOUSING AGENCY ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION FUNDING GRANT OF $3.88 MILLION AGENDA ACTION: RESOLUTION
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended by the Housing and Community Services Department that the Council, by resolution: 1) accept and appropriate the State of California’s Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency (BCSH) Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) Program grant in the amount of $3,883,032.30 to provide comprehensive services for individuals residing in encampments in the Southwest and Southeast areas of the City; 2) authorize the City Manager to execute a Standard Agreement with BCSH and any related documents require to secure the award and participate in the program; and 3) authorize the Director of Housing and Community Services to execute any necessary additional agreements and/or any related documents for projects funded by the grant.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In February 2023, the Housing and Community Services Department applied to the State of California’s BCSH ERF Program to provide comprehensive services for individuals residing in encampments in the Southwest and Southeast areas of the City. On June 14, 2023, the City was awarded an ERF Rolling (ERF-2-R) grant in the amount of $3,883,032.30. ERF-2-R will provide for expanded outreach, placements in congregate and non-congregate shelter with supportive services, enhancements to the City’s Safe Parking Program; and housing financial assistance coupled with navigation and stabilization case management to help people locate and maintain housing. The City will enter into a Standard Agreement with BCSH; to administer these funds, the City must accept and appropriate the grant, and to facilitate expeditious use of the funds, it is recommended that the Director of Housing and Community Services be authorized to execute agreements and any related documents required for utilizing ERF-2-R program funds for projects funded by the grant.
BACKGROUND
In December 2022, BCSH issued the ERF-2-R Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for approximately $237 million. The ERF Program, administered by the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH), provides grant assistance for actionable, person-centered local proposals that resolve the experience of unsheltered homelessness for people residing in encampments.
In February 2023, the Housing and Community Services Department (HCS) submitted an application for ERF-2-R to provide comprehensive services for individuals residing in encampments in the Southwest and Southeast areas of the City (Project Area). HCS prioritized the Project Area given the history of large encampments, significant impacts on the surrounding area, and equity priority data.
On June 14, 2023, the City was awarded an ERF-2-R grant in the amount of $3,883,032.30.
ERF-2-R will fund additional outreach and case management positions coupled with housing financial assistance (Rapid Re-housing) to help people locate and maintain housing. Additionally, ERF-2-R will fund Safe Parking Program operations and site enhancements, and a vehicle for the expanded outreach team. ERF-2-R activities will be administered by Catholic Charities which currently operates the City’s Safe Parking Program and Homeless Outreach Services Team (HOST).
The ERF-2-R budget is summarized in the table below:
Use
Amount
Salaries and Benefits
$1,518,126.00
HOST Vehicle
$44,000.00
Rapid Re-Housing
$918,000.00
Operational Expenses
$48,000.00
Safe Parking Program Operations
$1,000,000.00
Safe Parking Site Enhancements
$170,000.00
City Administrative Costs (5%)
$184,906.30
Total
$3,833,032.30
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
Not applicable.
ANALYSIS
ERF-2-R funding creates the following goals:
225 individuals engaged via outreach services (100%)
90 individuals placed into interim housing/emergency shelter (40%) 60 individuals placed into permanent housing (25%)
85% housing retention rate
Additionally, increased outreach and supportive services provided with ERF-2-R are projected to increase housing placements and create capacity on the Safe Parking waitlist (approximately 40 individuals).
The award of ERF-2-R supports the implementation of the City’s Homelessness Solutions Strategic Plan, adopted by the Council in November 2022, specifically Strategy Area 2: Expand service-oriented responses to unsheltered homelessness.
BCSH will disburse funds to the City following execution of the Standard Agreement, which is anticipated to take approximately three (3) to five (5) months.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of this action increases appropriations to the Homeless Services Fund 1209 by $3,883,032.30. There is no impact to the General Fund.
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
Not applicable.
NOTIFICATION
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution/ Exhibit A – Encampment Resolution Funding Program Round 2, Rolling Disbursement (ERF-2-R) Standard Agreement
PRESENTER
Sasha Cohen, Program Specialist, [email protected]
ACCEPTANCE AND APPROPRIATION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA’S BUSINESS CONSUMER SERVICES AND HOUSING AGENCY ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION FUNDING GRANT OF $3.88 MILLION PAGE 3 OF 3