City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve an amendment to the contract with
Beyond Shelter to perform case management, needs assessment, relocation and
housing counseling, and job development services and referrals for the Family Self-
Sufficiency (“FSS”) and the Section 8 Welfare-to-Work (“WtW”) Voucher Programs in
an amount not to exceed $126,000 for FY 2006/2007 and an amount not to exceed
$129,780 for FY 2007/2008 (subject to approval of the City’s annual budget).
BACKGROUND:
The Family Self Sufficiency Program began in 1997 and is designed to provide
extremely-low and very-low income Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCVP)
program participants with the tools necessary to achieve economic independence
from government assistance. These tools include: job training, education, budget
counseling and access to childcare and transportation.
Participating families enter into a five (5) year Contract of Participation with the
Culver City Housing Division (“CCHD”) to show their commitment to self-sufficiency.
The contract specifies the participant’s goals and objectives for achieving financial
independence. FSS participants are allowed to extend their contract for two (2)
additional years if it is necessary to help them achieve educational and/or
employment goals.
Meeting Date: 06/26/06 Item Number: C-4
AGENDA ITEM:
Authorization to Amend the Contract with Beyond Shelter to Perform Case
Management, Relocation and Housing Counseling, and Job Development
Services for the Family Self Sufficiency and the Section 8 Welfare-to-Work
Voucher Programs.
Contact Person/Dept.: Lillian Ikeda Phone Number: (310) 253-5797
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification:
Beyond Shelter was notified by email on May 24, 2006; Family Self Sufficiency and
Welfare to Work Participants were notified by mail on May 25, 2006; Master Notification
List on June 21, 2006.
Department Approval:
Susan Evans (06/21/2006)
CAO Approval: Jerry B. Fulwood
(06/21/2006)
City Controller Approval:
Marlee Chang (06/21/2006)City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
The CCHD entered into a contract with Beyond Shelter in January 1997 to provide
case management, counseling, career development, and referral services for
twenty-five (25) Culver City FSS/WtW participants.
Since 1997, seven (7) households, approximately thirty percent (30%) of the total
enrollment, have graduated from the FSS program and twenty-two (22) households
have generated escrow accounts with an average amount of the accounts being
$3,650. An escrow account is only generated for a FSS participant if they start
working or have an increase in their earned income. Since January 2006, the CCHD
has started extensive recruitment to replace the graduated households.
In 2000, the CCHD received funding for seventy-five (75) Section 8 Welfare-to-Work
vouchers from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”).
The WtW program was designed to assist Section 8 applicants, who are receiving
welfare and need decent, safe, and affordable housing to obtain or retain
employment. In March 2000, the Culver City Housing Division entered into a
contract with Beyond Shelter to provide WtW participants with counseling, housing
search services, housing and employment related transportation, and outreach to
owners.
In March 2004, HUD notified Public Housing Agencies (“PHAs”) nationally that they
would begin to phase out the WtW program starting in fiscal year 2004. This means
that as a WtW program participant “graduates” either through securing employment
and/or become over-income – the voucher will not be re-issued. Though the
program is being phased out, PHAs are still obligated to provide services to WtW
participants until they graduate. With the phase out, new participants will not be
accepted to the WtW program.
As of March 2006, nine (9) families are enrolled in the WtW program and six (6)
have secured employment.
DISCUSSION:
Beyond Shelter’s proposal will provide a full time coordinator with a program
caseload of twenty-five (25) households. Case management, needs assessment,
housing, employment, job training assistance, access transportation, child care,
parenting education, money management training, and other resources needed to
become self-sufficient will be provided to participants on the FSS and Welfare-to-
Work programs. Additionally, the coordinator will conduct recruitment sessions,
assisting with the FSS Action Plan and the FSS Logic Model which is the required City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
documentation when applying for funds for the coordinator through HUD’s
competitive grant.
Additionally, Beyond Shelter’s contract will be expanded to include housing
relocation services to twenty (20) Section 8 participants due to the difficulty the
Section 8 program has experienced with attracting/retaining property owners to
participate in the Section 8 program.
These relocation services shall at a minimum include outreach to the rental property
community to increase their interest in participating in the Section 8 program,
provide Section 8 participants with their credit information, linking property owners to
Section 8 participants, and counseling Section 8 participants on how to conduct a
housing search and how to conduct a successful interview with a potential property
owner. Currently, Beyond Shelter provides similar services to FSS/WtW
participants.
This expansion to include housing relocation services will increase the Beyond
Shelter contract from $63,000 to $126,000 based on the need to hire a housing
relocation specialist, to conduct housing search workshops with Section 8
participants and to provide credit reports.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
The proposed WtW/FSS contract is not to exceed $126,000 for FY 2006/2007. In
previous years, the CCHD has been successful at being awarded grants from HUD
for the administration of the WtW and FSS programs. For this fiscal year 2005/2006,
the CCHD was awarded $63,000. The CCHD submitted a competitive grant
application in May 2006 to HUD seeking to secure funding for the WtW and FSS
programs for fiscal 2006/2007. The amount of the grant is estimated to be $65,000.
In the event the competitive grant is not awarded to the CCHD, HUD guidelines
allow the use of Section 8 administrative reserves for $65,000. Additionally, the
remaining $61,000 to complete the funding of the contract will be supported by the
Redevelopment Agency Housing Set Aside.
The recommended contract amount for FY 2007/2008 would be an amount not to
exceed $129,780, which is an increase of 3% to compensate for the rising costs of
salaries and benefits.
ATTACHMENTS:City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
1) Proposal to the City of Culver City for Welfare-to-Work and Family Self
Sufficiency Program Services – July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2008.
MOTION:
That the City Council:
Authorize to Amend the Contract with Beyond Shelter to Perform Case
Management, Relocation and Housing Counseling, and Job Development Services
for the Family Self-Sufficiency and the Section 8 Welfare-to-Work Voucher Programs
in an amount not to exceed $126,000 for FY 2006/2007 and an amount not to
exceed $129,780 for FY 2007/2008 (subject to the approval of the City’s annual
budget).