Agenda Item   

AGENDA STAFF REPORT

 

                                                                                                                        ASR Control  23-001098

 

MEETING DATE:

02/27/24

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 

 

 

Lilly Simmering (714) 834-6234

 

 

Subject:  Renewal Contracts for Rapid Rehousing Services

 

      ceo CONCUR

County Counsel Review

Clerk of the Board

          Concur

Approved Agreement to Form

Discussion

 

 

3 Votes Board Majority

 

 

 

    Budgeted: Yes

Current Year Cost:   N/A

Annual Cost: FY 2024-25 $2,024,197

 

 

 

    Staffing Impact:

No

# of Positions:            

Sole Source:   No

    Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A

   Funding Source:     FED: 5% (ESG), State: 95% (see Financial Impact Section)

County Audit in last 3 years: No

   Levine Act Review Completed: Yes

 

    Prior Board Action:         4/25/2023 #36; 8/9/2022 #30

 

RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):

 

 

1.

Approve Amendment No. 2 to renew the Contract with PATH - People Assisting the Homeless for Rapid Rehousing Services for Individuals, for a term effective from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, for an amount not to exceed $988,935, for a revised cumulative total amount not to exceed $4,074,200.

 

2.

Approve Amendment No. 1 to renew the Contract with Covenant House California for Rapid Rehousing Services for Transitional Aged Youth, for a term effective from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, for an amount not to exceed $506,101, for a revised cumulative total amount not to exceed $1,527,370.

 

3.

Approve Amendment No. 1 to renew the Contract with Families Forward for Rapid Rehousing Services for Families, for a term effective from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, for an amount not to exceed $529,161, for a revised cumulative total amount not to exceed $1,493,879.

 

4.

Authorize the County Procurement Officer or Deputized designee to execute Amendments to the Contracts as referenced in the Recommended Actions.

 

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY:

 

Approval of Amendments to renew the Contracts for Rapid Rehousing Services will provide individuals, families and transitional aged youth experiencing homelessness with rapid rehousing assistance to secure permanent housing through a tailored package of assistance intended to assist the individuals in achieving housing stability.

 

 

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

 

The County of Orange’s (County) Office of Care Coordination serves as the administrative entity for the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Program and the State Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program on behalf of the Orange County Continuum of Care (CoC). The Office of Care Coordination also serves as the administrative entity for the HHAP Program on behalf of the County.

 

The HHAP Program provides local jurisdictions with funds to support regional coordination, the development of a unified response to homelessness, and funding to continue the efforts to end homelessness through permanent housing and supportive services informed by best-practices.

 

The ESG Program provides funding to engage individuals and families experiencing homelessness, improve the quality of emergency shelters, help operate emergency shelters, provide essential services to shelter residents, and rapidly re-housing individuals and families experiencing homelessness. 

 

On August 9, 2022, your Honorable Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Contracts for Rapid Rehousing Services with PATH - People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), Covenant House California (Covenant House) and Families Forward  for a term effective from September 15, 2022, through June 30, 2024. 

 

On April 25, 2023, the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to the Contract with PATH to enhance the Rapid Rehousing Services by increasing the total contract amount not to exceed $3,085,265, which provided rapid rehousing services for 75 additional individuals.

 

On October 23, 2023, the Orange County CoC Board approved the recommended providers receive HHAP and State ESG funding for the extended provision of Rapid Rehousing Services through FY2024-2025. 

 

The proposed Amendments will renew Rapid Rehousing Services for individuals, families and transitional aged youth experiencing homelessness for one additional year, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. The Amendments do not have any significant changes to the scope of work; however, it does provide updated budgets, staffing plan, and proportional number of households to be served.

 

Scope of Services:

The Rapid Rehousing Services assists households experiencing literal homelessness, either sheltered or those living in a place not meant for human habitation, to transition into permanent housing. The services under the Rapid Rehousing Services Contracts are designed to provide up to 12 months of assistance to households looking to secure permanent housing and housing stabilization services to support housing retention. The Rapid Rehousing Services include the following services at a minimum: intake and assessment, housing-focused case management, financial assistance, housing stabilization and supportive services. Financial assistance supports participants with one-time costs associated with securing housing, including application fees, security deposit, rental arrears, utility assistance, and move-in expenses, as well as ongoing monthly rental assistance payments to access and maintain housing. 

 

The agreed upon Scope of Works and Services outlined in each providers proposed Contract are in alignment with the Housing Pillar’s best practices, guiding principles and commitments as detailed in the Homeless Service System Pillar Report.

 

Each provider has a specific target population and number of households to be served, outlined in the table below.

 

Provider

Target Population

Households to be Served

PATH

Individuals, adults ages 18 and older, and adult only households

A minimum of 100

 

Covenant House

Transitional aged youth, individuals between the ages of 18 to 24

A minimum of 14

Families Forward

Families, households with at least one minor child

A minimum of 17

 

Performance Metrics:

The target goals for the performance metrics are detailed below:

 

1. 100 percent of participants will have an Individualized Housing and Service Plan within 30    calendar days of program enrollment.

2. At minimum, 50 percent of participants will secure permanent housing within 90 days of enrollment in the program.

3. Of Participants that exit and/or complete the program*, 85 percent of participants exit to a permanent housing destination.

4. At minimum, 45 percent of participants will have a higher income than at program entry due to employment and or mainstream benefits.

 

*Types of exit destinations are tracked for reporting purposes through the Homeless Management information System (HMIS).

 

From September 15, 2022, to December 15, 2023, the following performance outcomes were achieved:

 

Performance Metrics

PATH

Families Forward

Covenant House

Number of households enrolled

317

71

21

Percent of households that established an Individualized Housing and Service Plan within 30 days of program enrollment

87%

97%

100%

Number of households who have exited and/or completed the program

269

60

3

Percent of participants who have exited to a permanent housing destination

90%

75%

67%

Percent of participants with increased income at program exit

24%

53%

0%

 

PATH, Families Forward and Covenant House are currently low performing on one or more of the outlined performance outcomes. Covenant House has been particularly challenged in meeting performance metrics as the population they serve, transitional aged youth, face additional barriers and difficulties related to low incomes and short credit histories. The Office of Care Coordination is actively working with PATH, Families Forward and Covenant House to review practices related to the program operations and implement strategies that will assist in improving performance outcomes related to exits to permanent housing destinations and increased incomes at program exit.

 

The County Executive Office (CEO) requests the Board approve Amendments for the renewal of the Contracts with PATH, Covenant House, and Families Forward as referenced in the Recommended Actions above. Approval of the Amendments will continue to 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 stability.

 

The Contractors’ performances have been confirmed as satisfactory. The County Procurement Office has verified there are no concerns that must be addressed with respect to Contractors’ ownerships/names, litigation status or conflicts with County interests.

 

These Contracts do not currently include subcontractors or pass through to other providers. See Attachment C for the Contract Summary Form. The Orange County Preference Policy is not applicable to this Contract award. The Office of Care Coordination has worked to incorporate the Homeless Service System Pillars Attestations into the Amendment for the renewal of Contracts as detailed in the recommended actions, for the Housing Pillar as applicable to the Rapid Rehousing Services being provided.

 

 

 

 

 

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

 

Appropriations for these Contracts will be included in Budget Control 018 FY 2024-25 Budget Request.These Contracts have no impacts on the County General Fund.

 

The proposed funding sources are:

Federal: 5% (ESG)

State: 95% (HHAP-County [71%], HHAP-CoC [12%], and State-ESG [12%])

 

The proposed Contracts include provisions allowing CEO to terminate the Contracts, 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


 

 

ATTACHMENT(S):

 

Attachment A - Amendment No. 2 to Contract MA-017-22011905 with PATH - People Assisting the Homeless
Attachment B – Amendment No. 1 to Contract MA-017-22011903 with Families Forward
Attachment C – Amendment No. 1 to Contract MA-017-22011894 with Covenant House California
Attachment D - Redline to Contract MA-017-22011905
Attachment E - Redline to Contract MA-017-22011903
Attachment F - Redline to Contract MA-017-22011894
Attachment G - Contract Summary Form for MA-017-22011905
Attachment H - Contract Summary Form for MA-017-22011903
Attachment I - Contract Summary Form for MA-017-22011894