Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Claire Cunningham, Director, Human Services Agency
Subject: Acceptance of Right at Home Grant Funding from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing the Director of the Human Services Agency or designee to:
A) Accept funding for a targeted homelessness prevention program from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation in the amount of $500,000; and
B) Execute any agreements, amendments, or other documents to apply for and accept future funding for this homelessness prevention program.
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BACKGROUND:
The Human Services Agency’s Center on Homelessness contracts for, coordinates, and monitors homeless services throughout San Mateo County. Currently, the primary interventions offered are outreach and engagement, shelter/interim housing, rapid rehousing, housing navigation, permanent supportive housing, target programs for special populations such as veterans, families with children, youth, and emergency financial assistance.
The Human Services Agency has an opportunity to participate in a national initiative called Right at Home, which is seeking to learn about which targeted homelessness prevention strategies work locally and to build a case for national investment in such services.
DISCUSSION:
Through its fiscal sponsor the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the County will be able to convene stakeholders for an exploratory planning phase. A homeless prevention program will be designed as an addition to the County’s existing Emergency Financial Assistance program and will be narrowly targeted toward households at the highest risk of becoming homeless.
The Center on Homelessness asks for approval and acceptance of this grant award. The funds are planned for use in contract with Focus Strategies to project manage stakeholder collaboration and to identify the capacity and approaches needed to reach the most precariously housed San Mateo County residents to provide high-impact interventions. More information about Right at Home is available at www.rightathomeusa.org <http://www.rightathomeusa.org>.
HSA requests that the Board of Supervisors authorize the HSA Director or designee to submit reports and execute any agreements, amendments, or other documents with Right at Home to apply for and accept future funding.
The County Attorney has approved the Resolution as to form.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
There are no performance measures for this resolution.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Right at Home planning grant is for a total amount of $500,000. An initial allocation of $250,000 will be made available upon receipt of the signed grant agreement. The second payment of $250,000 will be made available after completion of a midpoint check-in call with the Right at Home project team. These funds will be held in trust by the County until they are utilized. Budgetary appropriation to authorize the use of these funds for FY 2025-26 will be facilitated through an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) that will be brought back to this Board after the grant agreement is signed and appropriations for any subsequent years will be included in future budgets will be included in the budgets. There is no Net County Cost and accepting the planning grant funds does not oblige the County to any action beyond planning.