Agenda

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C. 26

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	John Kopchik, Director, Conservation & Development Department
Date:	December 14, 2021

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Grant Agreement Between the City of Oakland and Contra Costa County - 2020 HOPWA-CV Funds

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 12/14/2021

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

ABSENT:

Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor

Contact:

Kristin Sherk, 925-655-2889

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: December 14, 2021
Monica Nino, County Administrator

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

1. APPROVE the allocation of the 2020 Housing Opportunities for Persons with HIV/AIDS (HOPWA) Program CARES Act funds as follows: $122,467 to the County Health Services HIV/AIDS program and $9,218 for program administration; and

2. APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Conservation and Development Director, or designee, to enter into a Grant Agreement between the City of Oakland and Contra Costa County that authorizes the County to administer $131,685 in HOPWA Program CARES Act funds for housing and supportive services for low-income persons with HIV/AIDS in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, for the period April 1, 2020 through August 15, 2022.

FISCAL IMPACT:

No General Fund impact. Housing Opportunities for Persons with HIV/AIDS (HOPWA) funds are provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to the City of Oakland, as administering agent.

BACKGROUND:

On April 2, 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) issued a grant award letter to the City of Oakland (City) pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) that states, among other things, “The supplemental funds provided under the CARES Act are to be used by HOPWA grantees as additional funding to maintain operations and for rental assistance, supportive services, and other necessary actions, in order to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.” The City of Oakland is the HUD grantee for both Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

On October 13, 2020, the Board of Supervisors approved the form to the Grant Agreement for HOPWA Program CARES Act Funds. In April 2021, the City notified the County of revisions to the form of the Grant Agreement. On June 8, 2021, the Board of Supervisors approved the revised form to the Grant Agreement for HOPWA Program CARES Act Funds. Since then, the City has not fully finalized/executed the Grant Agreement and has made additional revisions to the form of the Grant Agreement. The third version/final form of the Grant Ageements for HOPWA Program CARES Act Funds is attached.

The recommendation is to use the allocation of HOPWA Program CARES Act funds to continue Contra Costa Health Service Department's (HSD) HIV/AIDS program activities that include housing advocacy and housing information services, including client intake, housing needs assessment, assistance with locating affordable housing, assistance with housing-related benefit applications, and permanent housing placement (security deposits). CCHS will continue and expand a Short Term Rental Mortgage Utility (STRMU) Assistance program as part of a homelessness prevention strategy to maintain housing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The STRMU program is intended to reduce the risks of homelessness and to improve access to health care and other needed support. The CCHS HIV/AIDS group currently manages a STRMU program with HOPWA funds. As proposed CCHS will also manage the HOPWA Program CARES Act STRMU program, which will involve efforts to restore client self-sufficiency and future independence from housing support by the end of the program's term. This will be accomplished using time-limited housing assistance payments for eligible individuals and by the creation of individual housing service plans that include an assessment of current resources and the establishment of long-term goals for recipient households.

DCD requests that the Board of Supervisors approve the recommended allocations and attached Grant Agreement in substantially final form, which has been approved by County Counsel.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

If the Board does not approve the Emergency (COVID-19) Grant Agreement with the City of Oakland, the County would not receive and administer $131,685 in HOPWA Program CARES Act funds, and low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS in the County would lose vital housing and supportive services in response to the public health order related to the COVID-19 pandemic.