Agenda Item #15.1
For Council Meeting of: August 20, 2024
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MEGAN BASINGER, DIRECTOR,
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION PILOT PROGRAM – KEEP PEOPLE HOUSED (KPH) – sONOMA FOR FY 2024/2025 and FY 2025/2026 AGENDA ACTION: REPORT
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended by the Housing and Community Services Department that the Council, by resolution: 1) approve and authorize the Director of Housing and Community Services to negotiate and execute, subject to approval as to form by the City Attorney a) an Agreement between the City of Santa Rosa, the County of Sonoma, and the City of Petaluma for the Funding of a Homelessness Prevention Pilot Program (Keep People Housed (KPH) – Sonoma) for Fiscal Years 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 (Funding Agreement) in the amount of $1.3 million, and b) a Grant Agreement for Keep People Housed (KPH) – Sonoma with the Committee on the Shelterless (Grant Agreement) in the amount of $1.3 million for the period October 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026; and 2) endorse All Home’s Regional Action Plan 2024 as part of its technical and financial support for the pilot program.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
All Home, a Bay Area nonprofit organization, has offered to expand its homelessness prevention model into Sonoma County and provide technical assistance and a financial match to support the proposed pilot program, Keep People Housed (KPH) – Sonoma. The City of Santa Rosa (City), County of Sonoma (County), and the City of Petaluma (Petaluma) are the three (3) local agencies participating in the program and providing the local funds. This item seeks Council approval of a Funding Agreement and Grant Agreement for $1.3 million in local funds for the two-year pilot program, which will be matched with $2.6 million from All Home, for a program total of $3.9 million. The Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) was selected to serve as the Lead Provider of KPH – Sonoma following a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) released by the City on May 29, 2024. The $1.3 million in local funds will be awarded to COTS per the Grant Agreement. All Home will enter into a separate agreement with COTS for the administration of its $2.6 million. This item also seeks Council’s endorsement of All Home’s Regional Action Plan 2024.
BACKGROUND
Bay Area non-profit organization, All Home’s Regional Action Plan 2024 (Attachment 1) recommends concurrent investments in three interventions to effectively reduce unsheltered homelessness – interim housing, permanent housing, and homelessness prevention.
Data provided by All Home shows that across the nine-county Bay Area region, three people are becoming homeless for every one that is housed by local homeless response systems. In Sonoma County, 35% of people surveyed as part of the 2023 homeless Point-in-Time Count reported 2023 as their first episode of homelessness, indicating a need for prevention services. This need is also identified in the City’s Homelessness Solutions Strategic Plan (2023 – 2027) and the Sonoma County Homeless Coalition’s (our local Continuum of Care) 5 Year Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness and the Petaluma’s Strategic Action Plan to End Homelessness.
All Home has worked with several Bay Area communities to develop and test a regionally coordinated homelessness prevention system for households at or below 50% of Area Median Income (AMI). The system pairs rapid, flexible financial assistance with housing stabilization services and legal aid referrals for people facing eviction. Households are prioritized using an on-line technology platform, including an evidence-based assessment tool, developed and maintained by All Home and Bay Area Community Services (BACS). In addition to Sonoma County, All Home is currently working with Solano County to launch Keep People Housed (KPH) – Solano.
All Home has offered to expand its homelessness prevention model into Sonoma County with technical assistance and a match for local funds to support a pilot program, KPH – Sonoma. The City, in partnership with the County and Petaluma, have been working with All Home to develop the program.
Proposed funding for the two-year pilot program is outlined below. $500,000 – City (Homeless Fund Reserves included in FY 2024/2025 budget) $500,000 – County (Housing and Homelessness Incentive Program (HHIP)) $300,000 – Petaluma (General Fund)
$2,600,000 – All Home match*
$3,900,000 Total
*Includes initial commitment of $1.3 million prior to release of RFP, plus additional $1.3 million for a total of $2.6 million On May 29, 2024, the City released an RFP with a due date of June 20, 2024 in the amount of $2.6 million seeking proposals from qualified agencies to operate KPH – Sonoma. Per the RFP, proposers were directed to apply as a collaborative, comprised of a Lead Provider with partner agencies or “Local Hubs” (one per subregion) to assist with the delivery and administration of KPH – Sonoma. The subregions include Central County/Santa Rosa, West County, North County, South County, and Sonoma Valley.
A total of four (4) proposals were received from the following agencies: BACS, COTS, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa (CCDSR), and Sonoma Community Action Network (CAN), formerly Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County. The proposals are discussed in more detail in the Analysis section.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
On November 15, 2022, Council approved the Homelessness Solutions Strategic Plan (2023 – 2027) and authorized the City Manager to make minor or non-substantive modifications to amend the plan to ensure alignment with the Sonoma County Homeless Coalition’s regional plan. The Strategic Plan, specifically Strategy One (Improve System Performance), identifies a need for homelessness prevention services and is also part of the Year Two Implementation Plan, developed to operationalize the three key strategies outlined in the Strategic Plan.
ANALYSIS
On July 2, 2024, an evaluation committee reviewed and scored the proposals. The committee was comprised of representatives from the City’s Housing and Community Services Department, County Department of Health Services, and Petaluma.
A summary of the proposals received is provided below.
Lead Provider – BACS
Experience
Experienced homeless services provider, based in Oakland Founded KPH initiative, currently operating Oakland and Contra Costa County programs Developer/administrator of on-line portal
Local Hubs
Not identified in proposal
Staffing Model
Program Manager, Two (2) Care Coordinators
# Served
386 households over two-year pilot period; $6,736 cost per household % Direct Financial Assistance
60% – Highest of proposals received, however, budget does not allocate funds to Local Hubs for operating and case management costs; estimated $4,000 subsidy per household Lead Provider – CCDSR
Experience
Experienced homeless services provider
Operates several City-sponsored programs, including federally funded prevention and supportive services program Local Hubs
Central/Santa Rosa – HomeFirst
West County – West County Community Services (WCCS)
North County – Reach for Home
South County – HomeFirst
Sonoma Valley – La Luz
Staffing Model
Six (6) Case Managers (1 per subregion, 2 for Central/Santa Rosa); operational staff # Served
300 households over two-year pilot period; $8,667 cost per household % Direct Financial Assistance
50% – Mid-range of proposals received; estimated $4,300 subsidy per household Lead Provider – COTS
Experience
Experienced homeless services provider, based in Petaluma Operates scattered site permanent supportive housing (PSH) in Santa Rosa and City-sponsored prevention and supportive services program (federally funded) Local Hubs
Central/Santa Rosa – Community Support Network
West County – WCCS
North County – Reach for Home
South County – COTS
Sonoma Valley – HomeFirst
Staffing Model
Five (5) Case Managers (1 per subregion); operational staff # Served
242 households over two-year pilot period; $10,744 cost per household % Direct Financial Assistance
54% – Mid-range of proposals received; estimated $5,800 subsidy per household Lead Provider – Sonoma CAN
Experience
Experienced provider serving vulnerable populations
Extensive experience administering critical needs assistance in Sonoma County, including HCA Family Fund (concluded 2023) and Season of Sharing programs (administration funded by City).
Local Hubs
Central/Santa Rosa – Sonoma CAN
West County – WCCS
North County – La Familia Sana/ Corazón Healdsburg
South County – Petaluma People Services Center
Sonoma Valley – La Luz
Staffing Model
Regional Case Managers/Navigators; operational staff
# Served
600 households over two-year pilot period; $4,333 cost per household % Direct Financial Assistance
42% – Lowest of proposals received due to higher operating costs; estimated $1,800 subsidy per household The proposal submitted by COTS received the highest average score, as shown below. The full criteria utilized to determine scores can be found in Attachment 2. Based on the scoring, the evaluation committee recommends COTS to be the operator of KPH – Sonoma.
Organization
Average Score
COTS
99 CCDSR
93 Sonoma CAN
87 BACS
64 Following conclusion of the RFP process and review and scoring of the proposals by the evaluation committee, All Home made an additional commitment of funds ($1.3 million). Staff estimates approximately 350 to 400 households will be served over the two-year program with the increased funding.
The City will be serving as the administrator of the local funds and overseeing COTS’ operation of the program. In order to facilitate this arrangement, staff is requesting approval of the following agreements:
Funding Agreement with the County and Petaluma which confirms the commitment of local funds ($1.3 million).
Grant Agreement with COTS in the amount of $1.3 million to operate KPH – Sonoma for the period October 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026. Per the Grant Agreement’s scope of services, COTS as Lead Provider, will be the sole administrator of financial assistance payments provided to landlords; oversee subcontracted services provided via Local Hubs; and submit all reports to the City on services provided. COTS will also serve as the Local Hub for the South County subregion.
All Home will enter into a separate grant agreement with COTS for administration of its $2.6 million contribution, the majority of which will be prioritized for direct financial assistance with approximately $400,000 allocated for legal services to be subcontracted to Legal Aid of Sonoma County.
Staff is also seeking Council’s endorsement of All Home’s Regional Action Plan 2024, which recognizes All Home’s technical and financial support for KPH – Sonoma and confirms the City’s commitment to partner with its Bay Area partners to implement regional solutions to address homelessness.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds were included in the FY 2024/2025 Homeless Fund 1209 budget to facilitate this program. There is no impact to the City General Fund.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This report 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
Attachment 1 – All Home Regional Action Plan 2024
Attachment 2 - Request for Proposals R166094 Homelessness Prevention Pilot Program Keep People Housed (KPH) – Sonoma Resolution/Exhibit A – Agreement between the City, the County of Sonoma, and the City of Petaluma for the Funding of a Homelessness Prevention Pilot Program (Keep People Housed (KPH) – Sonoma) for Fiscal Years 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 Resolution/Exhibit B – Grant Agreement for Keep People Housed (KPH) – Sonoma, Committee on the Shelterless (COTS)
PRESENTER
Kelli Kuykendall, Housing and Community Services Manager, [email protected] 4859-5680-2264 v1
APPROVAL OF HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION PILOT PROGRAM (KEEP PEOPLE HOUSED (KPH) – sONOMA) FOR FY 2024/2025 and FY 2025/2026 PAGE 3 OF 4