Item Number: 12
City Council / Board of Directors
Written Communications
Meeting of: December 2, 2025
Submitted By:
Alex Jauregui, City Planner
Subject:
Medical Respite Grant Agreement with Kaiser Foundation Hospitals to provide the City with funding for strengthening health and housing pathways through Wellness Center recuperative care navigation
Recommendation:
That the Honorable City Council take the following actions:
(1) Adopt Resolution No. 25-084, accepting the Strengthening Health and Housing Pathways Through Wellness Center Recuperative Care Navigation Grant with the Kaiser Foundation Hospitals providing the City with $150,000.00 for advancing the medical respite ecosystem, and authorizing the City Manager to finalize all documents needed and to execute the grant contract; and (2) Adopt Resolution No. 25-085, amending the annual budget for Fiscal Year 2025- 2026 to reflect an additional appropriation in the amount of $150,000.
Fiscal Impact:
The proposed action will result in an increase of $150,000.00 in the City’s Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2025-26 budget pursuant to the grant terms. This funding will be used to strengthen recuperative care provided in the community and address the needs of those experiencing homelessness in the City of Victorville who are in need of respite/recuperative care. The subject grant has no matching requirement and administration of the grant, including the creation and analysis of associated data, will be managed by the City’s Homelessness Solutions Staff, utilizing the existing internal client management system and local Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). As proposed, Resolution No. 25-085 (Attachment B) would increase the revenue/expenditure amounts of the following accounts:
Account Amount Adjusted
2654020-43100-20593 (REVENUE) $150,000.00
2654020-52300-20593 (EXPENDITURE) $150,000.00
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Strategic Plan Goal:
The subject grant opportunity aligns with Goal D of the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan; specifically strategies 3, 4, and 5, which state that in order to achieve the goal of reducing homelessness, the City should:
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.
Inasmuch as the proposed funding opportunity will allow the City to further implement the strategies noted above, it will also address Goal A of the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan by identifying new funding sources to promote the City’s financial sustainability.
Background:
Grant History
On July 1, 2025, the City selected Symba Center as the sole operator of the Wellness Center, which provides shelter and a full array of supportive services. As part of these services, Symba delivers onsite medical care and operates a recuperative care (medical respite) program, which offers short-term, clinically supported shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness who are recovering from an illness, injury, or hospital stay but do not require hospitalization. Recuperative care allows patients a safe place to heal while receiving nursing oversight, case management, and linkages to ongoing healthcare, behavioral health, and housing resources.
In August 2025, the City of Victorville received an invitation to apply for a Kaiser Foundation Hospital’s Medical Respite grant and City staff attended a grant application informational session. The grant application was due on September 15, 2025 with limited entities selected to apply, and was focused on strengthening the Medical Respite/Recuperative Care (“RC”) ecosystem in the Inland Region.
On November 11, 2025, Kaiser approved the City’s grant application and approved a 24- month $150,000.00 award, to increase the recuperative care census at the Wellness Center as outlined in the City’s grant agreement (Attachment C).
Grant Purpose
This funding opportunity is intended to support the planning, implementation, and innovation projects that recuperative care providers are preparing to conduct as part of their on-going and strategic planning work. The subject grant is also designed to develop best practices to be shared with others for continued improvement of the overall recuperative care ecosystem and those in other Kaiser Permanente regions.
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The grant provides an opportunity to strengthen capacity within the City’s recuperative care program at the Wellness Center and enhance operational sustainability. This funding would support dedicated staff to provide case management and hospital coordination, expand service capacity, enhance coordination, and help maintain sustainable operations at the Wellness Center with the goal of increasing recuperative care clients served.
Proposed/Eligible Grant Uses
The City’s proposed grant project, titled Strengthening Health and Housing Pathways Through Wellness Center Recuperative Care Navigation, aims to strengthen health and housing integration by expanding recuperative care capacity at the Wellness Center while also deepening partnerships with regional hospitals. By June 2026, the City aims to strengthen referral pathways with the three local hospitals and potentially increase recuperative care capacity by up to 20 beds.
As proposed, a dedicated Recuperative Care Navigator/Case Manager is anticipated to be added to the Wellness Center operations staff to provide case management and support to individuals experiencing homelessness or unstable housing following a hospital stay or encampment contact, helping them access a safe place to heal and connecting them to housing, healthcare, and social services. This new position is designed to be time-limited and focused on establishing the internal workflows, hospital partnerships, and referral pathways needed to successfully expand the Wellness Center’s recuperative care program. If this time-limited position achieves the anticipated outcomes and grows the Wellness Centers recuperative care services, the resulting reimbursements from the health care plans will generate sufficient ongoing revenue to sustain the position long-term without direct fiscal impact to the City. The subject limited- time position will also necessitate an amendment to the City Wellness Center operator contract with Symba Center; however, City staff intends to allocate portions of the subject $150,000 grant award to administration of the grant and to offset existing contract costs, thereby causing any such Wellness Center operator contract amendment to be within the City Manager’s signing authority.
Discussion:
Grant Requirements/Outcomes
While the City’s grant application was approved with an award of $150,000.00, formal acceptance of the grant by the City Council is required to make the associated FY 2025- 26 budget amendment and authorize completion of the necessary contract. If accepted, the grant period and ability to use funds will begin on January 1, 2026, and will run through December 31, 2027. As part of the grant, City staff will be required to complete regular reports and a final report that will be due after the grant period ends.
Acceptance of this grant will enable the dedicated time-limited Recuperative Care Navigator/Case Manager coordinate and enhance Wellness Center operations while also guiding clients through recovery, improve health outcomes, and support transitions toward stable housing, with a target of serving at least 50 clients by October 2026 and 4 4
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approximately 85 clients by November 2027. Additionally, by January 2027, the Wellness Center intends to formalize at least one new hospital/health system partnership or add an additional Community Supports service. These efforts respond to Victorville’s homelessness rate and the ongoing need for safe post-hospitalization recovery options.
City Benefit
The City continues to address the homelessness challenges within the community; and as outlined in the Homelessness Solutions Strategic Action Plan, the recommended action will support efforts of the City homeless outreach programs and services. The available funding will also support the continued coordination and collaboration between the City and County outreach teams through expanded recuperative care, strengthened healthcare coordination, and enhanced data-informed navigation services, which aim to improve continuity of care, help reduce hospital re-admissions, and promote greater long- term stability for medically fragile individuals.
Given the City’s goal of reducing homelessness, as outlined in the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, coupled with the City’s commitment to collaborate with outside agencies for additional resources and partnerships, staff recommends that the Honorable City Council approve acceptance of the Kaiser Strengthening Health and Housing Pathways Through Wellness Center Recuperative Care Navigation Grant and amend the Fiscal Year 2025- 26 budget accordingly, as well as authorize the City Manager to proceed with completing necessary grant documents.
Prepared By:
William Lamas, Homelessness Solutions Manager
Attachments: A. City Council Resolution No. 25-084, City/Kaiser Foundation Hospitals Contract
B. City Council Resolution No. 25-085, Budget Amendment C. City of Victorville/Kaiser Foundation Hospitals Grant Agreement