Title
Receive an oral report from the Department of Social Services regarding County efforts and opportunities to strengthen services to individuals experiencing homelessness.
Presenter: Glorietta Rowland, MA II
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Health, Housing, and Human Services Committee receive an update on key activities related to homeless prevention and intervention.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
1. Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP)
The California Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council (HCFC) announced the launch of the Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP), a $500 million block grant program designed to provide direct assistance to cities and counties to address the homelessness crisis throughout California. HEAP is authorized by Senate Bill (SB) 850, which was signed into law by Governor Brown in June 2018. Funding estimates based on total homeless enumerated during the 2017 Point-in-Time census indicate the "Salinas/Monterey, San Benito Counties" jurisdiction is eligible to receive approximately $12.5 million in HEAP funding. The Notice of Funds Available (NOFA) was released on September 5, 2018.
The Coalition of Homeless Services Providers (CHSP) is the designated Administrative Entity for HEAP related items and monitoring activities. CHSP has entered into an agreement with the Monterey County Department of Social Services who will serve as fiscal agent for HEAP funds. CHSP coordinated a variety of community engagement forums throughout October and November 2018 to gather community input. Input was obtained from the professional sector (service providers, law enforcement, jurisdictions, medical, etc.), the Salinas community, South County community, North County community, Monterey Peninsula community and the homeless population. Dates and locations of the community meetings were published and shared through many media outlets.
Formal reports were prepared and presented to the Leadership Council. The Leadership Council made prelim...
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