Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Raymond Hodges, Director of Housing
Subject: Project WeHOPE Public Facilities Improvements Agreement
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing the Director of the Department of Housing, or designee, to execute an agreement with Project WeHOPE to fund public facilities improvements to congregant shelters, for the term of February 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, in an amount not to exceed $425,000.
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BACKGROUND:
San Mateo County has established an Over-the-Counter (“OTC”) award process that is separate from the Notice of Funding Availability (“NOFA”) application process used by the Department of Housing (“DOH”) to allocate the majority of federal funds (“Federal Funds”) allocated to the County by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) including the Community Development Block Grant Program (“CDBG”).
The OTC process specifically covers available, unallocated Federal Funds, meaning Federal Funds that are (1) not fully allocated during the County’s annual Federal Funds NOFA process, (2) returned to the County by a funding recipient, and/or (3) otherwise remain unallocated. Eligible OTC recipients are limited to non-profit organizations or public entities that have, in the past five (5) years, received funding from the County, including Federal Funds, American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) funds, State funds (e.g. Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) Program funds), and/or local funds (Measure K).
Eligible OTC projects include public facility projects, which are owned and operated by a non-profit organization, public entity, and/or the County, that will be constructed (including property acquisition), maintained, and/or rehabilitated, with an emphasis on facilities serving persons experiencing homelessness. OTC projects must be recommended by the County Executive’s Office, DOH, the Human Services Agency (“HSA”), the Project Development Unit (“PDU”) and/or the Department of Public Works (“DPW”).
Each recommended OTC project must submit a completed application through the County’s online grants management tool (CDS), similar to the application used for the annual Federal Funds NOFA. Proposals will be assessed by DOH based on the strength of the project’s goals and associated performance metrics, project financials, project timeline, and the organization's prior service delivery experience within the County.
Projects that are recommended for funding through the OTC-process must meet HUD National Objectives and County priorities outlined in the Consolidated Plan (https://www.smcgov.org/housing/consolidated-plan), priority initiatives identified by County executive leadership, and, if timeliness of meeting expenditure deadlines becomes an issue for the County, funds will be allocated to projects with the organizational capacity to fully expend the projected funding award on an accelerated timeline.
DISCUSSION:
Due to project cancellations and grant awards not being fully expended, there are remaining CDBG funds available that had been allocated to projects via Resolution No. 078855 (FY2022-23), Resolution No. 079562 (FY2023-24), and Resolution No. 080286 (FY2024-25). In alignment with the County’s zero-functional homelessness goal, Project WeHOPE was invited to apply for $425,000 of these funds via the OTC process.
Project WeHOPE has proposed to fund facility improvements to two congregate shelters located at 1854 & 1836 Bay Road in East Palo Alto, which collectively serve 383 persons experiencing homelessness, which are eligible uses of the unspent CDBG funds, and are aligned with HUD’s National Objectives and the County’s priorities outlined in the Consolidated Plan. Project WeHOPE is also a current recipient of other State and Federal funds.
Project WeHOPE submitted a completed application in the County’s online grants management tool (CDS) and its project proposal was assessed by HCD staff based on the strength of the project’s goals and associated performance metrics, project financials, project timeline, and the organization’s prior service delivery experience within the County.
DOH staff recommend that this Board approve the proposed agreement which will fund Project WeHOPE’s efforts to conduct public facility improvements to two congregate shelters located at 1854 & 1836 Bay Road in East Palo Alto, which collectively serve 383 persons experiencing homelessness, at a cost to the County of Four Hundred and Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($425,000.00), over a term from February 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025.
EQUITY IMPACT:
This program, led by Project WeHOPE, is designed to improve the quality of services provided to 383 persons experiencing homelessness. According to the County’s latest Point-in-Time-Count, persons experiencing homelessness disproportionally identify as Black, African American, or African, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and Hispanic/Latina/e/o than in the general population of the County.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The County’s maximum fiscal obligation under the agreement is not to exceed Four Hundred and Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($425,000.00) for the 11-month term and will be funded through Federal CDBG funds. The funding for this agreement is included in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 adopted budget.