REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JENNIFER CLARK, Director
Planning and Development Department
BY: BRANDON SISK, Senior Management Analyst
Housing and Community Development Division
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to supplemental Emergency Solutions Grant funding provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Community Development Office of Community Planning and Development (HUD CPD) to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the Coronavirus:
1. Approve an Agreement with the Housing Authority City of Fresno (FHA) to provide a functioning Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) in the amount of $56,000.
2. Approve an Agreement with the Marjaree Mason Center (MMC) for the operation of a Temporary Emergency Shelter in the amount of $300,000.
3. Approve an Agreement with the Poverello House for the operation of a Village of Hope I - Temporary Emergency Shelter in the amount of $237,377.28.
4. Approve Services Agreements with the Elevate Community Services (Elevate), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, to operate the Ambassador Inn and Villa Motel as temporary low-barrier emergency homeless shelters in the total amount of $1,256,368.33.
5. Approve an Agreement with University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) for the operation of COVID-19 Educational Workshops, Outreach Events, and COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Events in the amount of $438,566.
6. Approve the fourth revision of Emergency Solutions Grant-Coronavirus (ESG-CV) Activity Allocations to allocate $2,288,311.61 of ESG-CV 2 to activities for HMIS, temporary emergency shelter operations, and COVID-19 Educational Workshops, Outreach Events, and Vaccination and Testing events.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve ESG-CV agreements with Fresno Housing Authority, Marjaree Mason Center, Elevate, UCSF; approve the fourth revision of the ESG-CV Activity Allocations; and authorize the City Manager or designee to sign all necessary implementing agreements as approved to form by the City Attorney.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City Council previously approved allocations for ESG-CV 2 funds to Emergency Shelter Conversion, Rehabilitation, or Operations. In order to meet the ESG-CV 80% expenditure deadline of March 31, 2022, staff is proposing to reallocate those funds to HMIS; operations of temporary emergency shelters; and operation of COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Events, Educational Workshops, and Outreach Events.
BACKGROUND
On June 11, 2020, City Council approved a resolution requesting ESG-CV funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the prevention, preparation for, and response to coronavirus, among individuals and families who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance, and to support additional homeless assistance and homelessness prevention activities to mitigate the impacts created by coronavirus. In total, the City received two installments of ESG-CV funding amounting to $10,948,953.00.
On February 18, 2021, and June 24, 2021, City Council approved allocations of ESG-CV funds for deposit assistance, emergency shelter operations, and street outreach services. The City has a balance of $2,288,311.61 of ESG-CV funds that must be programmed and fully expended in order to meet the ESG-CV 80% expenditure deadline of March 31, 2022. Staff recommends using the funds for the agreements with FHA for HMIS services in the amount of $56,000; MMC and Poverello House for temporary emergency shelter operations in the amount of $300,000 and $237,377.28, respectively; Elevate for the operation of temporary emergency shelters in the amount of $1,256,368.33; and UCSF for the operation of COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Events, Educational Workshops, and Outreach Events in the amount of $438,566.
FHA: HMIS Services
The proposed $56,000 in ESG-CV funds for FHA will provide HMIS services for the purposes of gathering and analyzing community data from various programs, including ESG-CV. This system will be used to assess the effectiveness of the homeless response system and inform decision making on housing and service needs for individuals/families impacted by COVID-19 and experiencing homelessness and is required for the City to meet HUD reporting requirements. Furthermore, the use of the data collection in HMIS will be applied to assist the City in the preventing, preparing for, and responding to, Coronavirus.
MMC: Temporary Emergency Shelter Operations
The proposed $300,000 in ESG-CV funds for MMC will provide temporary emergency shelter services from January to March 31, 2022, for adults and their children made homeless and/or at risk of homelessness due to domestic violence that have been impacted by COVID-19. MMC’s temporary emergency shelter will provide 300 individuals (125 adults and 175 children) with safe housing. Additionally, MMC will provide 24/7 emergency hotline and crisis intervention, safety planning, risk assessments, daily meals and clothing, case management, advocacy, legal advocacy, individual and group counseling, children’s services, long-term permanent housing assistance, and referrals to community programs.
Poverello House: Temporary Emergency Shelter Operations
The proposed $237,377.28 in ESG-CV funds for Poverello House will provide access to 24-hour emergency shelter services for people experiencing homelessness who are impacted by COVID-19 with 60 beds from January to March 31, 2022, at Poverello House’s Village of Hope I shelter. The shelter provides heating, air conditioning, and low-voltage electricity in each pallet shelter. Services will include access to eight client service specialists, one village coordinator, and two case managers; three meals per day each day of the week; transportation to essential appointments; free laundry and ADA-compliant bathrooms and showers; enrichment opportunities like financial literacy, basic life skills, and community-building activities; and gathering basic documentation such as ID cards, birth certificates, income verifications, and social security cards.
Elevate: Temporary Emergency Shelters Operations
The proposed $1,256,368.33 in ESG-CV funds with Elevate will authorize two Service Agreements to rent all rooms and provide homeless shelter services at the 56-room Ambassador Inn and the 51-room Villa Inn to serve as temporary, low-barrier emergency homeless shelters. The term for each Service Agreement shall be from approximately January 15, 2022, to March 31, 2022. The services to be provided during this term shall include, but not be limited to: site security services, food and beverage services, and homeless counseling services.
The City Council has previously authorized the Administration to pursue acquisition of the Ambassador Inn and Villa Motel using Project Homekey 2.0 grant funds. If awarded, the grant funds will be used to acquire, renovate, and repair the two motels to serve as temporary, low-barrier emergency homeless shelters. Given the timing of the Homekey 2.0 grant application review and award period, the Administration recommends using the available ESG-CV funds to immediately enter into Service Agreements with Elevate to operate the two motels as temporary, low-barrier emergency homeless shelters for the period January 15, 2022, to March 31, 2022. If the Project HomeKey 2.0 grant funds are not awarded to the City, the Administration will recommend using a portion of the $13.2 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds previously authorized by City Council for homeless and housing services to acquire, renovate, and repair the Ambassador Inn and the Villa Motel to serve as temporary, low-barrier emergency homeless shelters. The tentative date to close escrow on the two motels will be between April 1, 2022, and April 15, 2022.
UCSF: COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Events, Educational Workshops, and Outreach Events
The proposed $438,566 in ESG-CV funds for UCSF will provide health fairs and outreach events to help stop the spread of COVID-19 among individuals experiencing homelessness and people at risk of homelessness. UCSF’s events will include COVID-19 vaccinations and testing educational workshops, and distribution of COVID-19 educational materials. UCSF will contract with other non-profit providers to assist with outreach and to connect individuals to navigation and additional supportive services as needed.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a project for purposes of CEQA pursuant to CEQA guidelines Section 15378. These plans, strategies and studies are an exempt activity under HUD NEPA Requirements (24 CFR 58.34 (1)).
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference is not applicable because of the use of federal funding.
FISCAL IMPACT
The agreements will be funded through the City’s ESG-CV allocations.
ATTACHMENTS:
ESG-CV Activities Revised
Agreement with Fresno Housing Authority for HMIS
Agreement with Marjaree Mason Center
Agreement with Poverello House - Village of Hope (Shelter Operations)
Agreement with Elevate Community Services - Ambassador Inn
Agreement with Elevate Community Services - Villa Motel
Agreement with UCSF - Fresno