Agenda Item   

AGENDA STAFF REPORT

 

                                                                                                                        ASR Control  23-000196

 

MEETING DATE:

05/23/23

legal entity taking action:

Board of Supervisors

board of supervisors district(s):

5

SUBMITTING Agency/Department:

County Executive Office   (Approved)

Department contact person(s):

Doug Becht (714) 834-2323 

 

 

Lilly Simmering (714) 834-6234

 

 

Subject:  Approval of Memoranda of Understanding with the City of Laguna Beach

 

      ceo CONCUR

County Counsel Review

Clerk of the Board

          Concur

Approved Agreement to Form

Discussion

 

 

3 Votes Board Majority

 

 

 

    Budgeted: N/A

Current Year Cost:   N/A

Annual Cost: FY 2023-24: $272,719
FY 2024-25: $272,718

 

 

 

    Staffing Impact:

No

# of Positions:            

Sole Source:   No

    Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A

   Funding Source:     FED: 100% (CDBG and CDBG-CV3)

County Audit in last 3 years: No

   Levine Act Review Completed: N/A

 

    Prior Board Action:         11/8/2022 #27, 3/9/2021 #28, 7/14/2020 #34, 6/23/2020 #68

 

RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):

 

 

1.

Approve the Memoranda of Understanding between the County of Orange and the City of Laguna Beach to allocate $545,437 of Community Development Block Grant funding, effective July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2025.

 

2.

Authorize the Office of Care Coordination, Director or authorized designee to execute the Memoranda of Understanding as referenced in the Recommended Action above.

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY:

 

Approval of the Memoranda of Understanding between the County of Orange and the City of Laguna Beach will provide Community Development Block Grant and Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Round 3 program funding, to serve individuals experiencing homelessness in the City of Laguna Beach.

 

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

 

On an annual basis, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program funding to states, cities and counties viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons. The County of Orange (County) completed the Funding Allocation Policy and Process (FAPP) to outline the methods used by Urban County Program to distribute federal and local funds, including CDBG. The Urban County Program is comprised of 12 cities with populations under 50,000 (small participating cities), two cities with populations over 50,000 (metropolitan or Metro cities) and unincorporated areas of Orange County. The Urban County Program includes the City of Laguna Beach, as a small participating city.

 

Through the FAPP, the County and the City of Laguna Beach agreed that the CDBG funding would be utilized to support low-threshold emergency shelter and regional homelessness activities.

 

Additionally, the County received notification of allocation of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding from the HUD. Per the notification, the County received $3,784,847 in funding for the CDBG Coronavirus Round 3 (CDBG-CV3) program. The funding is to be allocated for eligible housing, community development and homeless activities related to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the recommended use of CDBG-CV3 funding to support interim shelter operations for the Homekey Program and to work collaboratively with the City of Laguna Beach to implement programming and services within the City of Laguna Beach to serve individuals experiencing homelessness.

 

Prior Board Actions:

Board Date

Contract/Amendment

Action

6/23/2020

Approve the Annual Action Plan

Board Approved

7/14/2020

Approval of amendments to Consolidated and Annual Action Plans

Board Approved

3/9/2021

Approve amendments to Consolidated and Annual Action Plans

Board Approved

11/8/2022

Substantial Amendment 2 of the FY 2021-22 Annual Action Plan

Board Approved

 

The County Executive Office (CEO) Office of Care Coordination has worked with the City of Laguna Beach to establish a Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) further outlining and detailing how CDBG and CDBG-CV3 funding will be utilized. The MOU between the County and the City of Laguna Beach establishes program content and purpose, along with specific guidelines for the implementation and administration of the CDBG and CDBG-CV3 funding to serve individuals experiencing homelessness in the City. The Orange County Preference Policy is not applicable to this MOU.

 

The City of Laguna Beach will utilize allocated funds for the operations, essential services and supportive services provided at the Alternative Sleeping Location (ASL) to individuals experiencing homelessness with the goal of increasing exits to permanent housing options. Additionally, the City of Laguna Beach will provide funding to enhance its mobile crisis response program to operate 12-hours a day, seven days a week and provide community-based stabilization services to individuals experiencing homelessness within the City of Laguna Beach. The mobile crisis response program will target vulnerable individuals experiencing mental health, substance use as well as other non-medical emergency challenges and be used as a diversion from emergency personnel, hospitalizations and/or treatment facilities. The MOU between the County and the City of Laguna Beach is for the term of July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2025 and establishes program content and purpose, along with specific guidelines for the implementation and administration of CDBG and CDBG-CV3 funding.

 

Approval of the MOU with the City of Laguna Beach will continue to support the provision of emergency shelter services and efforts to address homelessness in the South Service Planning Area and support the overall System of Care. By approving the Recommended Actions, the County will maintain vital homeless service infrastructure for individuals experiencing homelessness and provide financial support to the City of Laguna Beach to address homelessness.

 

 

 

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

 

Appropriations for this MOU will be included in FY 2023-24 Budget and will be included in the budgeting process for future years.

 

The proposed Contract includes provisions allowing CEO to terminate the Contract, reduce the level of services, and/or renegotiate the levels of services provided, as necessary. This includes a notice that allows CEO adequate time to transition or terminate services to clients, if necessary.

 

 

 

 

STAFFING IMPACT:

 

N/A

 

REVIEWING AGENCIES:

 

OC Community Resources

 

ATTACHMENT(S):

 

Attachment A - Memoranda of Understanding with the City of Laguna Beach