Title
a. Accept a Community Project Funding (CPF) Award for $2,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to fund a Homeless Youth Housing Campus in Monterey County.
b. Approve and authorize the Director of Housing and Community Development, or their designee, to execute a $2,000,000 grant agreement and any other documents required by HUD to implement the CPF project; and,
c. Authorize the Auditor-Controller to amend the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Adopted Budget to increase revenue and appropriations by $2,000,000 for the Housing Community Development Block Grant Fund 013, Appropriation Unit HCD005 Unit 8546, funded by the CPF Grant Agreement (4/5th vote required).
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Accept a Community Project Funding (CPF) Award for $2,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to fund a Homeless Youth Housing Campus in Monterey County.
b. Approve and authorize the Director of Housing and Community Development, or their designee, to execute a $2,000,000 grant agreement and any other documents required by HUD to implement the CPF project; and,
c. Authorize the Auditor-Controller to amend the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Adopted Budget to increase revenue and appropriations by $2,000,000 for the Housing Community Development Block Grant Fund 013, Appropriation Unit HCD005 Unit 8546, funded by the CPF Grant Agreement (4/5th vote required).
SUMMARY:
The federal Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, included $2,000,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending to fund a Homeless Youth Housing Campus in Monterey County. The funds are made available to the County through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Project Funding (CPF) program. The recommended action will authorize the Director of Housing and Community Development to accept this grant and authorize the Auditor-Controller to make the necessary budgetary adjustments to collect and spend the grant funds.
DISCUSSION:
The CPF program is used for direct federal funding of specified projects. The need for a Homeless Youth Housing Campus in Monterey County was identified by the Coalition of Homeless Services Providers, as the Continuum of Care (CoC) lead agency, in 2020-2021 and shared with Senator Padilla’s office. To accept the grant, the County must execute the Grant Agreement and submit a work plan to HUD by September 15, 2023.
This project will fund a homeless youth housing campus that would include emergency shelter and/or transitional housing for youth between 18 and 24 years old and will be in alignment with the CoC’s The Tidal Wave of Change to Wash Away Youth Homelessness (the “Plan”). The Plan (Attachment A) was written in partnership with the local Youth Action Board and approximately 20 youth-serving organizations including the County of Monterey, and it was approved by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Planning and Development Division in 2022.
The Plan identifies two areas of concern that are driving considerations for the implementation of the Homeless Youth Housing Campus: 1) there is a severe lack of services that target pregnant and/or parenting youth, and 2) there is a severe lack of services in South Monterey County. Services will vary based on available funding for program delivery; however, the program would, at minimum, be in compliance with the local Emergency Shelter Standards to include trauma-informed, person-centered services while utilizing Housing First and harm-reduction principles. Services could include pre-/post-natal and family planning education, medical connections, housing and system navigation, employment, life-skills, and housing-focused case management. The City of Soledad has expressed an interest in working with the County to locate a maternal/parenting facility for pregnant and/or parenting teens that will be purchased with the grant funds.
Additionally, the Board of Supervisor’s adopted the Lead Me Home Plan to Reduce Homelessness in November 2021. The program will be held to Performance Targets as described in the Plan. County’s Departments of Housing and Community Development, County Administrative Office, and Social Services are working together to identify additional funds that will support the start-up programming and operations of the project, to include the Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) set-aside funds.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Administrative Office (County Homeless Services Director), Department of Social Services’ Community Affiliations Branch, County Counsel.
FINANCING:
There is no impact on the General Fund. The recommended action will approve an increase in revenue and appropriations in Fund 013, Appropriations Unit HCD005 Unit 8546 by $2,000,000. The acquisition and rehabilitation of property for use as the Homeless Youth Housing Campus is fully funded by the CPF. The Department of Social Services is programming $400,000 in State Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention Program (HHAP), youth set-aside to fund the services required to get the campus up and running.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
If approved, this action supports the Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Initiatives for Administration and Infrastructure. The Project will provide sustainable physical infrastructure and associated flood risk reduction and habitat benefits to promote the safety of area residents and visitors.
__Economic Development
__Administration
X Health & Human Services
__Infrastructure
__Public Safety
Prepared by: Roxanne Wilson, Homeless Services Director, (831) 755-5445
Prepared by: Darby Marshall, Housing Program Manager, (831) 755-5391
Approved by: Craig Spencer, Acting Housing and Community Development Director
The following attachments are on file with the Clerk of the Board:
Attachment A - The Tidal Wave of Change to Wash Away Youth Homelessness
Attachment B - B-22-CP-CA-0157 - Letter of Invitation