Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Raymond Hodges, Director, Department of Housing
Subject: CARES Act Emergency Solutions Grants Coronavirus (ESG-CV)
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing:
A) The Director of the Department of Housing, or designee, to administer all direct allocations of CARES Act Emergency Solutions Grants Coronavirus (ESG-CV) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to the County during the period from April 2, 2020 through January 31, 2023 to be used for the prevention, preparation for, and response to COVID-19 among individuals and families experiencing homelessness or receiving homeless assistance; and
B) The Director of the Department of Housing, or designee, to negotiate and execute contracts with awardees of ESG-CV funds directly allocated by HUD to the County during the period from April 2, 2020 through January 31, 2023 to be used for the prevention, preparation for, and response to COVID-19 among individuals and families experiencing homelessness or receiving homeless assistance.
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BACKGROUND:
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136, was signed into law to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). The CARES Act provided up to $5,000,000,000 in supplemental funding to states and local governments through Community Development Block Grants Coronavirus (CDBG-CV), Emergency Solutions Grants Coronavirus (ESG-CV), and other funding programs. From this amount, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) immediately allocated $2,000,000,000 based on the fiscal year 2020 CDBG and ESG formulas.
On April 2, 2020, HUD made the its first special allocation (Round 1) to the County of San Mateo Department of Housing (DOH) in the amount of $1,570,637 in CDBG-CV funds and $799,531 in ESG-CV funds to be used for the prevention, preparation for, and response to COVID-19 among individuals and families experiencing homelessness or receiving homeless assistance.
On June 9, 2020, HUD made a second allocation (Round 2) to DOH in the amount of $5,144,656 in ESG-CV funds to be used for the prevention, preparation for, and response to COVID-19 among individuals and families experiencing homelessness or receiving homeless assistance.
On June 30, 2020, the Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on a substantial amendment to the San Mateo County Community Participation Plan and a substantial amendment to the County’s 2018-2022 Consolidated Plan for the federal CDBG, HOME, and ESG Programs (“Consolidated Plan”). The amendments, which were adopted with this Board’s authorization (Resolution No. 077525), incorporate CDBG-CV and ESG-CV funds into the County’s current Consolidated Plan to be used as an additional resource and enable the County to implement new procedures that facilitate more flexible and expeditious use of CDBG-CV and ESG-CV funds to respond to immediate local needs as a result of COVID-19.
Since April 2, 2020, the County has received a total of $5,944,187 in ESG-CV funds directly allocated by HUD. There is a possibility that HUD may make additional direct allocations of ESG-CV funds to the County while the pandemic continues.
DISCUSSION:
DOH has been closely collaborating with the County Human Services Agency (HSA), the County Manager’s Office (CMO), local jurisdictions, and community-based service providers to determine how the County should prioritize the use of HUD’s direct allocations of CDBG-CV and ESG-CV funds to the County in order to meet the most pressing needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness who have been adversely impacted by COVID-19.
Street Outreach activities that include providing health and medical treatment to unsheltered clients will be in partnership with the County Health System’s Street Medicine Team.
Through these discussions, DOH and HSA staff recommend that the County use its direct allocation of ESG-CV funds from HUD in the amount of $5,944,187 to support Rapid Re-Housing, Emergency Shelter, and Street Outreach activities as well as administrative costs incurred in the engagement of these activities. Rapid Re-Housing activities include assistance and services to help households who have been adversely impacted by COVID-19 to find and maintain permanent housing. Some households who may potentially be served through Rapid Re-Housing activities include those households who were placed in some of the County’s non-congregate shelter programs funded by the State of California’s Project Roomkey during the early stages of the pandemic.
Emergency Shelter activities include operations at the County’s existing and new congregate and non-congregate shelter programs, such as homeless shelter programs being launched at Pacific Inn in the City of Redwood City and Coastside Inn in the City of Half Moon Bay. Street Outreach activities include providing health and medical treatment to unsheltered clients in partnership with the County Health System’s Street Medicine Team.
Rapid Re-Housing activities, Emergency Shelter activities, and Street Outreach activities have played a critical role in addressing the needs of residents experiencing homelessness and/or at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 as well as reducing the spread of COVID-19. Awarding ESG-CV funds to support existing and new Rapid Re-Housing activities, Emergency Shelter activities, and Street Outreach activities will help sustain the County’s continued efforts to respond to and assist residents adversely impacted by COVID-19.
Accordingly, staff is requesting that the Director of the Department of Housing, or designee, be authorized by this Board to administer all direct allocations of CARES Act ESG-CV funds from HUD to the County during the period of April 2, 2020 through January 31, 2023, and negotiate and execute contracts with awardees of ESG-CV funds during the same period to be used for the prevention, preparation for and response to COVID-19 among individuals and families experiencing homelessness or receiving homeless assistance.
FISCAL IMPACT:
ESG-CV funds are pass-through federal funding that will be administered by DOH. There is no impact to Net County Cost.