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HA - Approval of a Contract with the County of Los Angeles for the Homeless Services Planning Grant in the Amount of $50,000
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Meeting Date: March 13, 2018
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: []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date:
Public Notification: County of Los Angeles (02/26/2018); Committee on Homelessness (02/27/2018); and (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (03/07/18);
Department Approval: Sol Blumenfeld, Community Development Director (03/10/18)
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Culver City Housing Authority (Authority) Board approve the execution of the County of Los Angeles Homeless Services Planning Grant Contract.
BACKGROUND:
On August 17, 2015, the Los Angeles County (County) Board of Supervisors launched the Homeless Initiative to combat the homeless crisis. To develop these strategies, the Homeless Initiative conducted 18 policy summits on nine 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 six categories which include:.
• Homelessness Prevention
• Subsidized Housing
• Income Subsidies
• Case Management and Services
• System Coordination
• Increased 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 28, 2017. Through this Resolution, Culver City partnered 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 quarter cent sales tax increase to fund homeless services and prevention.
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 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 28 2017, the Home for Good Funders Collaborative 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.
The Authority at its regular meeting on September 11, 2017, approved the submission of a grant application in the amount of $50,000 for the County of Los Angeles Planning Grant. On October 23, 2017, after an extensive review process conducted in collaboration between the Home For Good Funders Collaborative and County Homeless Initiative, the Authority was selected for a homeless planning grant award of $50,000.
DISCUSSION:
From the 2017 Homeless Count, 227 people were found experiencing homelessness in Culver City. While the total number of people experiencing homelessness in Culver City increased 85% from last year, the total number of unsheltered people increased by 150%. and for the first time since the start of the homeless census, an unsheltered family of four was enumerated.
The Homeless Planning Grant funding will support the Authority in engaging a diverse group of city departments and community partners to update and enhance the City’s current homelessness strategies. These strategies were adopted over 12 years ago in 2004 and need to be revisited to ensure they are consistent with current homeless resident needs.
The grant will enable the City to prevent and combat homelessness by:
§ Increased understanding of the needs and characteristics of our homeless residents through data collection and analysis
§ Identifying stakeholders and forming partnerships
§ Identifying financial and non-monetary resources
§ Expanding community education and awareness about homelessness
§ Engagement of the larger community through roundtable discussions
§ Study and incorporate "best practices" of other localities including the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative
§ Develop collaborative efforts with surrounding communities
§ Encourage joint advocacy for policies and funding
The primary goal of updating the City’s homeless plan will be to engage stakeholders in a series of roundtable discussions by exploring the topics below. These will be the framework of the updated homeless plan.
• Prevent Homelessness
• Subsidize Housing
• Economic Empowerment
• Property Owner Retention and Attraction
• Expansion of Homeless Outreach
• Provide Case Management and Services
• Increase Affordable/Homeless Housing through Land Use Regulations
• Create Additional Emergency Shelter Beds
FISCAL IMPACT:
The awarded $50,000 will be earmarked to update and enhance the current Homeless Strategy approved by City Council in 2004. 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 updated 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. After securing Board approval to execute the contract with the County of Los Angeles, Letters of Solicitation will be transmitted to various entities with a strong understanding of the Culver City community, specializing in community organizing and building. Housing staff anticipates this entity will be retained no later than mid-April, 2018.
ATTACHMENT:
None
MOTION:
That the Housing Authority Board:
1. Approve the execution of the County of Los Angeles Homeless Services Planning Grant Contract and;
2. Authorize the Housing Authority General Counsel to review/prepare the necessary documents; and
3. Authorize the Housing Authority Executive Director to execute such documents on behalf of the Housing Authority.