Item Number: 16
City Council / Board of Directors
Written Communications
Meeting of: January 16, 2024
Submitted By:
Scott Webb, City Planner
Subject:
Encampment Resolution Funding Program - Contract with San Bernardino County Recommendation:
That the Honorable City Council take the following actions:
1) Adopt Resolution No. 24-001 authorizing a contract between the City of Victorville and San Bernardino County to receive California Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) Program grant funding in the amount of $691,092.00 to aid the City of Victorville in engagement, stabilization, and housing of homeless individuals residing in the Mojave Riverbed Encampment Area, and the restoration of former encampment sites to their natural state in compliance with the ERF Program; 2) Authorize the City Manager to finalize all documents needed to execute the contract; and
3) Adopt Resolution No. 24-002 amending the annual budget for fiscal year 2023- 2024 to reflect an additional appropriation in the amount of $691,092.00.
Fiscal Impact:
The proposed action requires an additional appropriation of $691,092.00 in both revenue and expenditures to the City's fiscal year 2023-2024 budget, as outlined in Resolution No. 24-002 (Attachment B), to aid the City in its efforts to address homelessness through engagement, housing and encampment cleanup. A portion of the funds will be utilized to house individuals from the Mojave Riverbed Encampment Area at the Wellness Center.
These housing funds will offset the operation cost of the Wellness Center, allowing the current grants that are helping fund operations (i.e. PLHA and Homekey) to sustain operations further into the future.
There are no match requirements. The contract does not allow compensation for administrative work; however, the administrative monthly reporting is minimal and will be tracked and reported by Homelessness Solutions staff through the City’s client management system, hourly tracking system and local Homeless Management 3 4
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Information System (HMIS). Upon execution of the contract, the County will disburse the funding in one lump sum to the City.
Unless otherwise approved by the County, all costs for services shall be incurred during the contract term. The term of the contract is effective as of the date of full execution of the contract and expires June 30, 2024. All funding will need to be expended prior to June 30, 2024.
Strategic Plan Goal:
This project aligns with Goal D, Strategy 3, 4, and, 5 in the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, “Expand on the existing homelessness outreach network to effectively engage the homeless community in services,” "Evaluate the effectiveness of coordination of homelessness services," and "Strengthen collaboration with the County and other entities to identify new funding opportunities and expand partnerships for homelessness services."
Background:
The Encampment Resolution Funding Program (ERF) grant program was launched by Governor Newsom in October 2021 to assist local jurisdictions in ensuring the wellness and safety of individuals experiencing homelessness in encampments by providing services and supports that address immediate physical and mental wellness and result in meaningful paths to safe and stable housing. The program also assists with the restoration of vacated encampment sites to the original state and intended purposes.
On December 29, 2021, the County of San Bernardino Office of Homeless Services (OHS) submitted a non-binding application for the ERF Program Grant. The application identified two prioritized encampment sites, the Santa Ana Riverbed, within the cities of Redlands and San Bernardino, and the Mojave Riverbed in Victorville. These encampment areas have been identified as having posed safety, health, and environmental concerns and are subject to flash flooding, extreme weather, fires, agricultural runoff, and human waste.
On February 24, 2022, Governor Newsom announced the award of ERF funds to 19 communities, including San Bernardino County. On April 26, 2022, the County Board of Supervisors accepted the ERF Program Grant in the amount of $1,787,998 to supplement currently funded activities that address the needs of homeless individuals, such as outreach and engagement, mainstream supportive services, and case management, with a focus on permanent housing (Attachment C).
Based on the 2023 Point-in-Time Count, Victorville remains the city with the second highest homeless population in the County of San Bernardino at 607, second only to the city of San Bernadino at 1,502. Specific to Victorville’s homeless population, 19% were incarcerated during the last 12 months, 19.8% have a mental health disorder, 10.4% have a physical disability, and 33.5% have a substance use disorder. 3 4
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Discussion:
Through the proposed contract (Attachment A), OHS is seeking to partner with the City of Victorville in a collaborative effort to address homeless within the Mojave Riverbed Encampment Area by utilizing $691,092.00 in ERF program funding to provide services to individuals and families that will align with the Housing First Model and trauma informed care approaches. The Mojave Riverbed Encampment Area is defined in the contract as the area generally described as the floodplain of the Mojave River within the city limits of the City of Victorville, including connected encampments within a one-mile radius of the Mojave River floodplain.
OHS plans to take this contract to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors for approval at their January 23, 2024 meeting.
Consistent with the Homelessness Solutions Strategic Action Plan, the recommended action will support efforts of the City and County homeless outreach programs. It will also support the continued coordination and collaboration between the City and County outreach teams. With this additional funding, we will continue to address our City’s unsheltered population with additional resources and support from our County partners.
Given the City’s commitment to addressing homelessness coupled with our commitment to collaborate with our County for additional resources and partnerships, staff is recommending that the City Council adopt Resolution Nos. 24-001 and 24-002 to utilize $691,092.00 in ERF program funding for qualified expenses, such as outreach, housing, and cleanup in the Mohave Riverbed Encampment Area.
Attachments: A. City Council Resolution No. 24-001, City/County ERF Contract B. City Council Resolution No. 24-002, Budget Amendment C. ERF Standard Agreement between County and State