Agenda Item   

AGENDA STAFF REPORT

 

                                                                                                                        ASR Control  25-000832

 

MEETING DATE:

12/02/25

legal entity taking action:

Board of Supervisors

board of supervisors district(s):

All Districts

SUBMITTING Agency/Department:

County Executive Office   (Approved)

Department contact person(s):

Douglas Becht (714) 834-2323 

 

 

Zulima Lundy (714) 834-6805

 

 

Subject:  Approve Contract for Permanent Housing Collaborative Transition Services

 

     ceo CONCUR

County Counsel Review

Clerk of the Board

          Concur

Approved Agreement to Form

Discussion

 

 

3 Votes Board Majority

 

 

 

    Budgeted: No

Current Year Cost:  $500,000

Annual Cost: N/A

 

 

 

    Staffing Impact:

No

# of Positions:           

Sole Source:   Yes

    Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A

   Funding Source:    State: 100% (HHAP-CoC)

County Audit in last 3 years: No

   Levine Act Review Completed: Yes

 

    Prior Board Action:         N/A

 

RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):

 

 

Approve Sole Source Contract and authorize the County Procurement Officer or Deputized designee to execute Contract with American Family Housing for provision of Permanent Housing Collaborative Transition Services, effective December 15, 2025, through June 30, 2026, in an amount not to exceed $500,000.

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY:

 

Approval of the Sole Source Contract with American Family Housing will provide households who are at risk of homelessness due to changes to federal funding with resources and supportive services to transition to alternative permanent housing resources and prevent their return to homelessness.

 

 

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

 

American Family Housing, an affordable housing developer and service provider, operates the Permanent Housing Collaborative, a program that provides scattered-sites permanent supportive housing to families that have experienced chronic homelessness in Orange County. This program was funded through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) Program grant which ends on December 31, 2025, placing the long-term stability of households in the program at risk of homelessness.

 

American Family Housing has made a request to the Orange County CoC to explore funding opportunities that will extend operations of the program. This would allow program participants at risk of losing their housing to receive resources and supportive services to identify and connect to available housing resources. The goal is to help ensure that these households do not return to homelessness, and instead are able to maintain long-term housing stability.

 

The Orange County CoC Board and the CoC-Funded agencies are supportive of this goal and actively advocating and exploring opportunities to minimize the impact of changes to federal funding. At the October 22, 2025, CoC Board meeting, the CoC Board approved the utilization of up to $500,000 in Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) funding to mitigate the impact of the CoC Program grant ending and provide participants the necessary time to transition to alternative permanent housing opportunities.

 

As such, the County of Orange (CoC), Office of Care Coordination, as the Collaborative Applicant and Administrative Entity for the Orange County CoC, is recommending the approval of the Sole Source Contract with American Family Housing as detailed in the Recommended Actions.

 

The Office of Care Coordination worked collaboratively with American Family Housing to develop a Scope of Services that meets the established goals of preventing homelessness for current participants. The Permanent Housing Collaborative Transition Services (Program) will be funded through available Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) funds allocated to the Orange County CoC, and will provide services to impacted households through June 30, 2026.

 

Scope of Services:

The Program will provide individualized housing-focused case management to households impacted by the cessation of CoC Program funding, providing support to transition into sustainable housing opportunities. Interventions will be tailored to each household’s unique situation and needs and will include housing navigation services to identify and connect to available housing resources. The Program will follow best practices such as, housing first principles and incorporate evidenced-based approaches such as motivational interviewing, progressive engagement, trauma-informed care, harm reduction and risk management, to address barriers to housing and economic stability.

 

The Program includes the following services at minimum:

a.

Assessment to engage funding impacted households who would benefit from interventions focused on successful transitions to stable housing.

b.

Housing-focused case management to support program participants with locating permanent or alternative housing options that meet the participant's individual needs.

c.

Housing navigation services to support the participant in identifying available housing units and community resources, completing needed forms and applications for housing, as well as providing support through in-person or teleconference meetings relating to housing search and placements.


 

d.

Flexible and individualized financial assistance to support program participants in accessing and maintaining housing.

e.

Case conference, coordination and collaboration with other components of the System of Care, Orange County CoC, and key stakeholders in Orange County to employ a multi-disciplinary approach to assisting program participants in accessing services.

 

The Office of Care Coordination has worked to incorporate the Homeless Service System Pillars Attestations into the Contract as detailed in the recommended actions. The agreed upon Scope of Services outlined in the proposed Contract are in alignment with the Outreach and Supportive Services and Housing Pillars' best practices, guiding principles and commitments as detailed in the Homeless Service System Pillar Report.

 

Performance Metrics:

The outcome measures for the Program during the term of December 15, 2025, to June 30, 2026, are detailed below.

a.

Assist 27 eligible households that are impacted by the loss of CoC Program funding and will be at risk of homelessness as a result.

b.

100% of Participant households will have an Individualized Housing and Service Plan within thirty (30) calendar days of program enrollment.

c.

At minimum, 80% of households will remain in permanent housing through April 30, 2026, and exit to permanent housing destinations at the conclusion of this Program.

d.

100% of households without viable permanent housing options will be offered available shelter options as an alternative if no other options are available.

 

The proposed Contract is a Sole Source Contract. The Orange County Preference Policy is not applicable to this Contract award. This Contract does not include subcontractors or pass through to other contractors. See Attachment B for Contract Summary Form. The appropriate due diligence has been conducted and the non-profit has been verified to be in good standing. American Family Housing does have two pending lawsuits on public record, however neither is of any major significance to the County and immaterial to their delivery of the services as described.

 

CEO requests the Board approve the Sole Source Contract with American Family Housing as referenced in the Recommended Action above. The Sole Source Contract with American Family Housing is being recommended less than 30 days before the contract start date, given that American Family Housing is the operator of the Permanent Housing Collaborative program and the existing CoC Program grant funding will end December 31, 2025, and limited guidance from the federal government at the time of submitting this agenda staff report. Additionally, American Family Housing is uniquely qualified in continuing to serve households enrolled in the Permanent Housing Collaborative and working with them to successfully transition to alternative permanent housing solutions. Approval of this Sole Source Contract will support the County’s effort to build a responsive System of Care that meets the needs of different segments of the homeless population in achieving housing and increased income.

 

 

 

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

 

The appropriations for the Contract will be included in FY 2025-26 Mid-Year Budget Report (MBAR) adjustment for Budget Control 018 Budget and will be offset by budgeted Transfers In from the Care Coordination Fund, Fund 12L.

 

 

STAFFING IMPACT:

 

N/A

 

ATTACHMENT(S):

 

Attachment A - Contract with American Family Housing
Attachment B - Contract Summary Form