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Approval of the Submission of a City Planning Grant in the Amount of $50,000 to Prevent and Combat Homelessness to the Home for Good Funders Collaborative.
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Meeting Date: September 11, 2017
Contact Person/Dept: Tevis Barnes/CDD-Housing
Phone Number: (310) 253-5782
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date:
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (09/07/17); Committee on Homelessness (08/29/17); Saint Joseph Center (08/27/17); Upward Bound House (08/16/17); and Westside COG Homeless Working Group (08/30/17)
Department Approval: Sol Blumenfeld, Community Development Director (09/6/17)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Culver City Council approve the submission of a planning grant in the amount of $50,000 to the Home for Good Funders Collaborative for the purpose of updating the Strategy to Address Homelessness.
BACKGROUND
On August 17, 2015, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors launched the Homeless Initiative to combat the homeless crisis that pervades our communities. To develop these strategies, the Homeless Initiative conducted 18 policy summits on 9 topics from October 1 to December 3, 2015 which brought together 25 Los Angeles County Departments, 30 cities and other public agencies, and over 100 community partners and stakeholders.
The summits resulted in 47 strategies divided in 6 areas. The areas included:
• Prevent Homelessness
• Subsidize Housing
• Increase Income
• Provide Case Management and Services
• Create a Coordinated System
• Increase Affordable/Homeless Housing
On February 9, 2016, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a comprehensive plan to combat homelessness which included the 47 strategies.
In support of the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative, the City Council adopted Resolution Number 2016 R 113 on November 28th, 2017. Through this Resolution, Culver City will partner with Los Angeles County to combat homelessness. At its regular meeting of February 13, 2017, the City Council also took a position in support of Measure H, the Los Angeles County .025 percent sales tax increase to fund homeless services and prevention.
DISCUSSION
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved Measure H funding recommendations on June 13, 2017. As part of the funding recommendations, $2 million was allocated in one-time funding from the Los Angeles County general fund to support coordination efforts of the Councils of Governments and planning efforts for cities in the Los Angeles Continuum of Care.
On July 28th, 2017, the Home for Good Funders Collaborative (Funders Collaborative) (Note #1) released a Request for Proposals (RFP) in partnership with the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative making available up to $70,000 in one-time funding to support local communities in developing and/or updating local Homeless Plans that will serve as a local community’s road map in preventing and combating homelessness locally and regionally.
Completed application packages must be submitted to the Funders Collaborative by noon on Monday, September 18th, 2017.Grantees will be selected and notified by October 31st, 2017. The grant will run through November 2017 through March 31, 2017. If awarded, cities must submit their Homeless Plan by March 30, 2017 (with the potential for a 3 month extension).
FISCAL ANALYSIS
Funding is based on a jurisdiction’s homeless population size (Note #2). Based on the official Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) 2017 Local Community Homeless Count results, there are 189 unsheltered and 42 sheltered homeless persons in Culver City. With a homeless population of 231 (unsheltered and sheltered populations combined), Culver City is eligible to receive $50,000 in funding. These funds will be earmarked to update and enhance the current Homeless Strategy approved by Council in 2004. If awarded, these grants funds will primarily be used to secure a consultant to work in collaboration with Housing staff and the Committee on Homelessness to coordinate community roundtables that will inform the update of the Homeless Plan. The roundtables will assist in defining the state of homelessness in our community and its impact and challenges as well as the development of strategies to prevent and combat homelessness locally and regionally.
ATTACHMENT
1. 2017-2018 Home for Good Funders Collaborative City Planning Grants to Prevent and Combat Homelessness in Los Angeles County Request for Proposal
2. 2004 Council Adopted Long and Short-Term Strategies to Address Homelessness
3. Resolution Number 2016 R-113 - To Partner with Los Angeles County to Combat Homelessness
4. 2017 Homeless Count Results
MOTION
That the City Council:
Approve the submission of a planning grant in the amount of $50,000 to the Home for Good Funders Collaborative for the purpose of updating the Strategy to Address Homelessness.
NOTES
1. The Home for Good Funders Collaborative was seeded by a $1 million challenge grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to the United Way in 2011. The Funders Collaborative provides a common avenue for the leading policymakers and funders working to end homelessness in Los Angeles County to navigate and develop strategies, test ideas, and coordinate efforts. From 2012 - 2016, the Funders Collaborative aligned over $1 billion in private philanthropic and public resources toward permanent solutions to homelessness.
2. Funding is based on the homeless population size of a jurisdiction. An award of $70,000 (over 400 people in 2017 Homeless Count); $50,000 (400-100 people in the 2017 Homeless Count); $30,000 (less than 100 people in the 2017 Homeless Count).