Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: 4/5ths
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Manager
Subject: Use of District-Discretionary Measure K Funds - Supervisorial District 4
RECOMMENDATION:
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Measure K: Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) transferring Measure K revenue and expenditure appropriations in the amount of $225,000 from Non-Departmental Services to the Department of Housing for eviction defense for low-income tenants provided by Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County.
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BACKGROUND:
Measure K is the half-cent general sales tax initially approved by San Mateo County voters in November 2012 and extended in November 2016 for a total of thirty years. The Board of Supervisors (“Board”) and County staff have conducted study sessions and community outreach efforts to inform priorities for Measure K spending for FY 2017-19.
On May 16, 2017, the Board approved the FY 2017-19 Measure K allocation plan in which the County anticipates Measure K receipts of approximately $81.6 million annually. The plan included $7 million in one-time loans or grants each year during FY 2017-19, divided equally among the five supervisorial districts, for district-discretionary needs and projects. District 4 has submitted a request to use its district-discretionary Measure K funds as shown below and described in the Project Summary section of this memorandum:
|
District/Project |
Amount |
|
District 4 (Supervisor Warren Slocum) - Transfer district-discretionary Measure K funds to the Department of Housing for eviction defense for low-income tenants provided by Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County. |
$225,000 |
This item is consistent with the criteria for district-discretionary Measure K funds approved by the Board in December 2018.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
This is a request to authorize a transfer of $225,000 of district-discretionary Measure K funds to the Department of Housing (Department), to augment the Department’s existing contract with Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County (Legal Aid). Under that contract, Legal Aid provides eviction defense full representation for low-income tenants.
Each year, between 1,500 and 1,800 eviction cases, known as unlawful detainers, are filed with the San Mateo County Superior Court. At least 70% of these cases impact low-income individuals and families putting them at risk of losing their homes. Outcomes for tenants with full-scope representation from the beginning to the end of a case can dramatically improve their ability to stay in their homes, with studies finding the chances that the tenancy can be maintained is at least double. Full representation of low-income tenants is resource intensive, at a cost of between $2,000-$5,000 per case, and Legal Aid and their partner Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto are at present only able to fully represent 100 households per year, only about 10% of all cases.
The Department has an existing agreement with Legal Aid to provide the services described. The proposed transfer of Measure K funding would help to further narrow the gap to provide full representation for low-income tenants facing eviction. The funding would support additional staffing with a full-time attorney and paralegal, sufficient to add at least another 50 cases to Legal Aid’s total representation caseload.
Total Measure K Request: Not to Exceed $225,000
Contact information for Legal Aid:
Shirley Gibson
Directing Attorney
Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County
Sobrato Center for Nonprofits
330 Twin Dolphin Drive, Suite 123
Redwood City, CA 94065
(650) 558-0915
SGibson@legalaidsmc.org <mailto:SGibson@legalaidsmc.org>
PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
|
Description |
Target |
|
Provide full eviction defense representation for low-income tenants |
50 cases |
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the agreement and resolution as to form.
Funding for the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of a Prosperous Community by providing tenant eviction defense to underserved communities and preserving their housing.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are sufficient Measure K funds for this specific FY 2018-2019 Measure K request. These funds are budgeted in the Non-Departmental Services FY 2018-19 Adopted Budget. Approval of the Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) will transfer district-discretionary Measure K appropriations from Non-Departmental Services to the Department of Housing.