Agenda

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C.4

To:	Contra Costa County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners
From:	Joseph Villarreal, Housing Authority
Date:	March 8, 2022

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

CONTRACT WITH CONTRA COSTA INTERFAITH TRANSITIONAL HOUSING (DBA HOPE SOLUTIONS) TO ADMINISTER THE CONTINUUM OF CARE RENTAL SUBSIDY PROGRAM WITH HACCC

Action of Board On: 03/08/2022

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, Commissioner
Candace Andersen, Commissioner
Diane Burgis, Commissioner
Karen Mitchoff, Commissioner
Federal D. Glover, Commissioner
Cynthia Jordan, Commissioner

ABSENT:

Joanne Segura, Commissioner

Contact:

925-957-8028

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: March 8, 2022
,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATIONS

APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Executive Director of the Housing Authority, or designee, to execute a five-year contract with Contra Costa Interfaith Transitional Housing (dba Hope Solutions) in an amount not to exceed $2,250,000 to administer the Continuum of Care Rental Subsidy program with HACCC.

BACKGROUND

HACCC has been in a partnership with Contra Costa County’s Department of Health Services to administer the County’s Shelter Plus Care Program (S+C) through the Shelter Plus Care grant (S+C grant) for approximately 25 years. The Shelter Plus Care (S+C) Program provides a variety of permanent housing choices, accompanied by a range of supportive services. The S+C grant provides homeless and disabled persons housing through either tenant-based rental assistance (TBRA) or project-based rental assistance (PBRA).

BACKGROUND (CONT'D)

Over the years, Contra Costa County’s Department of Health Services – Health, Housing and Homeless Services (H3) has acted as the subrecipient and taken the lead role in the day-to-day administration of the S+C Program. They have identified qualified households to refer to the subsidy programs, verified a participant’s disabled and homeless status, reported data to HUD, provided case management to participants, and assisted with navigation assistance as needed to ensure greater success for the families to be housed. HACCC’s role focused more on tracking the grant expenditures, conducting intake certifications to determine applicants’ qualifications for the subsidy programs, inspecting units, making payments to landlords, and ensuring that the S+C program is in compliance with HUD regulations.

Through the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act (HEARTH Act), the S+C program was reinvented in 2015 and became known as the Continuum of Care Rental Subsidy Program (COCRSP). The name change did not dramatically alter the S+C program.

HACCC has received approximately $1.8 million each year to house approximately 300 households under the various COCRSPs. A maximum of 10% of that amount is carved out for administrative costs and is used to pay for the staffing and administrative costs of operating the program for both HACCC and its subrecipient. In addition, the grantee is required to provide 25% of the grant funding as in-kind or cash match for

services to the program participants. To date, this match has included staff and administrative expenses as well as unreimbursed services through the County’s Health Services.

H3 recently alerted HACCC that they were unable to continue to serve as the subrecipient of the CoC grant due to the increased demand to direct its resources to other County housing programs. Accordingly, a Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued on November 1, 2021, inviting qualified providers to apply as HACCC’s new partner in the administration of the COCRSP.

After HACCC received and reviewed the application submitted by Contra Costa Interfaith Transitional Housing, also known as Hope Solutions (Hope Solutions), staff determined that it was suitable to replace H3 in administering the COCRSP. HACCC has been working closely with Hope Solutions for several years in its capacity as a housing provider and, most recently, as the housing navigation team for the Emergency Housing Voucher program previously brought before HACCC’s Board of Commissioners. Staff recommends Hope Solutions to fill the role of subrecipient of the CoC Rental Subsidy Program grant.

FISCAL IMPACT

All costs will be paid from the annual appropriations approved by HUD through the County’s annual application to HUD’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for all Continuum of Care (CoC) programs. The maximum amount each year for all services will not exceed $450,000 for a total of $2,250,000.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION

If the Board fails to a approve the contract with Contra Costa Interfaith Transitional Housing dba Hope Solutions to be the subrecipient and administrative partner with HACCC in administration of the Continuum of Care Rental Subsidy program, HACCC will not be in a position to continue to provide assistance to participants of the CoC’s rental subsidy program.