Agenda

Return

C.24

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Family & Human Services Committee
Date:	January 17, 2012

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Transition to Emergency Solutions Grant and Proposed Allocation of Additional Funds

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 01/17/2012

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Brenda Kain 335-7238

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: January 17, 2012
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

1. APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Conservation and Development Director, or designee, to execute a contract with Shelter, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $73,797, to provide Rapid Rehousing services to urban County clients for the period January 24, 2012 to June 30, 2012, as recommended by the Family and Human Services Committee.

2. APPROVE allocating $11,366 in additional funds to the Department of Conservation and Development for administration costs as recommended by the Family and Human Services Committee.

FISCAL IMPACT:

No General Fund Impact. ESG funds are provided to the County on a formula basis through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). CFDA # 14.231.

BACKGROUND:

The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH Act), enacted into law on May 20, 2009, consolidates three of the separate homeless assistance programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act into a single grant program, and revises the Emergency Shelter Grants program and renames it as the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program. The HEARTH Act also codifies into law the Continuum of Care planning process, a longstanding part of HUD’s application process to assist homeless persons by providing greater coordination in responding to their needs.

This ruling revises the regulations for the Emergency Shelter Grants program by establishing the regulations for the Emergency Solutions Grants program, which replaces the Emergency Shelter Grants program. The change in the program’s name, from Emergency Shelter Grants to Emergency Solutions Grants, reflects the change in the program’s focus from addressing the needs of homeless people in emergency or transitional shelters to assisting people to quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness.

The intent of the new ESG program is to build upon those services developed through the Homeless Prevention/Rapid Rehousing (HPRP) program that was funded as part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The purpose of HPRP is to provide homelessness prevention assistance to households who would otherwise become homeless and to provide assistance to rapidly re-house persons who are homeless. It provides temporary financial assistance and housing relocation and stabilization services to individuals and families who are homeless or would be homeless but for this assistance. HPRP is not a mortgage assistance program and is not intended to provide long-term support.

The County received $1,421,551 in funding for the HPRP program and contracted with Shelter, Inc. as the lead agency. Shelter, Inc. in turn contracted with several partner agencies countywide to ensure that services were provided throughout the urban County. Under their direction the program has far exceeded the original goals for number of households served and it is anticipated that all funds will be expended well before the August, 2012, deadline.

HUD has notified the County it is eligible to receive an additional $85,163 in ESG funding for the current fiscal year. The new ESG regulations limit the amount to be allocated to street outreach and emergency shelter activities to 60 percent of the grant amount or the amount allocated in FY 2010/11, whichever is greater. Because the County allocated its entire ESG grant this year for emergency shelter activities (see attachment), the additional ESG funding must be used for the new services outlined in the regulations - specifically homeless prevention and rapid rehousing activities. It is anticipated that an additional 21 families currently homeless will receive help in finding housing and in paying deposits, rent and utility bills.

A new requirement for greater coordination among homeless assistance providers requires that ESG recipients consult with Continuums of Care in allocating funds for eligible activities, developing performance standards, evaluating outcomes of ESG-assisted projects and developing funding policies and procedures. In response to this requirement, recommendations for the allocation of the additional funds were presented to the Contra Costa Interjurisdictional Council on Homelessness (”CCICH”) on December 9, 2011. CCICH is charged with providing a forum for communication and coordination about the overall implementation of the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness and providing advice and input on the operations of homeless services. The recommendation was presented to the Family and Human Services Committee on December 12, 2011, and was approved.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

If the allocation of additional Federal ESG funds to DCD is not approved, the County will not be able to provide rapid rehousing services to additional clients and it will not be possible for the County to spend the total amount allocated by HUD.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

Allocating the additional Federal ESG funds to assist additional rapid rehousing clients will support the "Families that are Safe, Stable and Nurturing" outcome established in the Children's Report Card.