Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Nicole Pollack, Director, Human Services Agency
Subject: Acceptance of funds from the State Department of Community Services and Development and Agreement with Samaritan House
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Adopt a resolution authorizing:
A) The acceptance of Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funds from the State Department of Community and Services Development (CSD) to provide emergency assistance to low-income families and individuals in an amount up to $1,150,000 and execution by the Human Services Agency (HSA) Director or her designee of agreements with CSD and any amendments to the agreements for the term of January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2020; and
B) The acceptance of Discretionary Funds up to $200,000 from CSD and execution by the HSA Director or her designee of agreements with CSD and any amendments to the agreements for the term of January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2020; and
C) The HSA Director or her designee to waive the Request for Proposals process to execute a two-year agreement with Samaritan House to administer CSBG funds and any amendments to the agreements during that same term, adding additional CSBG or Discretionary Funds from the State Department of CSD.
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BACKGROUND:
The State Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) awards annual amounts of Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funds to counties and partner agencies to provide services to low income individuals throughout the State of California in an effort to reduce poverty. CSD awards CSBG funds based on a calendar year cycle. It often also issues discretionary funds to fund the provision of additional services for low-income communities.
The Human Services Agency (HSA) utilizes these funding resources to contract with a community-based organization to provide emergency assistance to families and individuals in San Mateo County at risk of homelessness to remain housed.
DISCUSSION:
HSA has been receiving grants for CSBG funds from CSD to support programs that reduce poverty and revitalize low-income communities since 2012. The State anticipates allocating $460,000 to HSA for the first calendar year in 2019, but the amount could ultimately be more or less than this estimated amount depending on CSD’s final budget for 2019.
CSD is currently in the process of drawing up contracts and will require an executed copy of the 2019 funding agreement to be returned no later than January 1, 2019. Accordingly, CSD is requesting that its funding awardees go to their respective Boards in advance and obtain authority for agency level directors to sign allocation agreements in order to streamline the approval process.
In order to comply with the requirements of CSD’s Contract Division, HSA is requesting that the Board authorize its Director or her designee to execute agreements with CSD for CSBG funds up to $1,150,000 and CSBG Discretionary Funds up to $200,000 for the term of January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2020. This will allow HSA to streamline funds to provide critical services to the community.
HSA is requesting that the Board waive the Request for Proposals (RFP) process to use Samaritan House as the fiduciary agent for the CORE Agency Network. CSBG funding supports homeless services to the community through the Core Agency Network that was established by the Board of Supervisors. To streamline reporting to the State, one Core Agency (Samaritan House) has been appointed by the Network Agencies as the fiduciary agent for CSBG funding allocation and to collect information from Network Agencies to consolidate reporting efforts to the State. It is in the best interest of the County to contract with Samaritan House who has been appointed by the Network Agencies, who has extensive experience in the use and meeting the reporting needs of the State, and who is a member of the Board-established network.
The agreement and resolution has been reviewed and approved by County Counsel as to form.
Acceptance of these funding sources and the agreement with Samaritan House for administration of these funds contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of a Prosperous Community by providing emergency financial assistance to low-income residents in San Mateo County. It is anticipated that for 2019 that out of 500 participants, 90% will remain housed six months after receiving assistance and 95% will rate CSBG services as good or better.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
|
Measure |
2018 Projected |
2019 Projected |
|
Number of participants projected to receive Emergency Assistance (food, utility payments, rental & mortgage assistance, car repair assistance, shelter, transportation, referral services, and clothing). |
500 |
520 |
|
Percent of participants receiving rental or emergency assistance who remain housed 6 months after receiving assistance. |
90% |
90% |
|
Percent of CSBG participants who rate services as good or better. |
95% |
95% |
FISCAL IMPACT:
It is anticipated that CSD will issue $460,000 in CSBG Funds for calendar year 2019 and a similar amount for the calendar year 2020. These funds will be contracted to Samaritan House to administer to the Core Service Agency Network. Appropriation will be included in the FY 2019-20 Adopted Budget, and funding will be included in future year budgets. There are no anticipated issues resulting from the acceptance of these funds.