Agenda Item AGENDA STAFF REPORT ASR Control 23-000567
MEETING DATE:	09/12/23
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):	Doug Becht (714) 834-2323
	Lilly Simmering (714) 834-6234

Subject: Approve Contract for Housing and Disability Advocacy Program 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: $942,630

Annual Cost: FY 2024-25 $1,130,676

Staffing Impact:

# of Positions:

Sole Source: No

Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A

Funding Source: State: 100% (HDAP)	County Audit in last 3 years: No
Levine Act Review Completed: Yes

Prior Board Action: N/A

RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):

Approve Contract with Volunteers of America of Los Angeles for Housing and Disability Advocacy Program Services for Families, for the term of October 15, 2023, through June 30, 2025, with the option to renew for three additional one-year terms, in an amount not to exceed $2,073,306.

Authorize the County Procurement Officer or Deputized designee to execute the Contract with Volunteers of America of Los Angeles as referenced in the above Recommended Action.

Pursuant to Contract Policy Manual Section 3.4-114, authorize the County Procurement Officer or Deputized designee to exercise a contingency contract cost increase, not to exceed a total of 10 percent of the Contract amount for the first year of the Contract, for the entire term of the Contract, including renewals, and within the scope of work set forth in the Contract. The use of this contingency cost interest is subject to approval requirement established by the County Procurement Officer.

SUMMARY:

Approval of the Contract for Housing and Disability Advocacy Program Services for Families will support eligible families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness in Orange County by increasing their income through disability benefits and accessing housing resources to be permanently and stably housed.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The Housing and Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP) is a county-administered state program that provides housing and disability benefits application assistance to people with a disability who are experiencing homelessness. HDAP requires outreach, case management, disability benefits advocacy, housing assistance, and prioritizes individuals experiencing chronic homelessness or individuals experiencing homelessness who rely most heavily on government-funded services. HDAP provides funding to the County of Orange (County) System of Care to better serve those experiencing homelessness in Orange County and increases care coordination between the Social Services Agency (SSA), OC Community Resources (OCCR), Health Care Agency and County Executive Office (CEO), Office of Care Coordination.

On April 6, 2023, the Office of Care Coordination issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on the County’s online bidding platform and advertised the RFP on LinkedIn, to seek qualified providers for countywide HDAP Services for Families. The RFP was advertised for a total of five weeks with the RFP closing on May 11, 2023. Additionally, the Office of Care Coordination announced the issuance of the RFP multiple times through email distribution lists and during Commission to End Homelessness and the Orange County Continuum of Care (CoC) meetings, including CoC Board, and Housing Opportunities Committee meetings. There was one proposal received in response to the RFP and as such per the County Contract Policy Manual, Section 4.3-110, the Office of Care Coordination waived the standard evaluation process and the proposal was reviewed by the selected designees. The Office of Care Coordination has completed successful negotiations and recommends awarding the contract to Volunteers of America of Los Angeles (VOALA).

VOALA is a non-profit organization founded in 1896 with a mission to find solutions to social problems and pioneer approaches that assist individuals in need by creating positive, lasting changes. VOALA has an extensive history providing outreach, engagement, case management and housing and supportive services for Southern California’s most vulnerable, including individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness, veterans, youth and other at-risk populations.

Scope of Services

VOALA will provide HDAP Services for Families to assist families with a member of the household with a disability, who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness apply for disability benefit programs while also providing housing assistance. HDAP requires that street outreach, case management, disability benefit advocacy and housing assistance be offered to all program participants. An integral part of HDAP Services for Families is Supplemental Security Income/Social Security Disability Income (SSI/SSDI) Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR). SOAR is a national program designed to increase access to the disability income benefit programs administered by the Social Security Administration for eligible adults and children who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have a serious mental illness, medical impairment and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder.

The program will include the following service elements:

-	Outreach activities geared at identifying need, targeting resources and/or connecting likely eligible families to HDAP Services, including screening and assessment activities.
-	Case Management activities including the provision of care coordination intended to help participants navigate and address barriers to housing and disability benefits, including connections to Medi-Cal, CalFresh, healthcare, behavioral health agencies, legal aid, etc.
-	Disability Benefits Advocacy includes seeking any and all disability benefits the participant may be eligible to receive as appropriate, including SSI/SSDI, Social Security Retirement or Survivors Benefits, Veterans’ Disability Compensation benefits and the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants. This includes filing complete and timely applications and appeals, obtaining and submitting medical evidence, filing appeals and requests for hearings, including appeals to the Social Security Appeals Counsel, representing individuals at administrative hearings, establishing good working relationships with the Social Security Administration and Disability Determination Services, and contracting with legal services providers as needed to ensure adequate representation.
-	Housing assistance includes assisting participants in finding and securing interim and permanent housing, maintaining current housing, and stabilizing new housing. Housing assistance activities include, but are not limited to, direct financial assistance such as rental subsidies, rental arrearages, interim housing, landlord mediation, landlord incentives, landlord outreach and housing identification and search activities.

Performance Outcomes

VOALA will provide HDAP Services to a minimum of 150 families during the term of the Contract. The following performance measures and outcomes will be achieved:

-	Maintain a minimum of 20 unduplicated, eligible participant families in a caseload per case manager.
-	100 percent of participants will have an Individualized Housing and Service Plan within 30 days of program enrollment.
-	100 percent of participants will have submitted a disability benefit application or appeal within 120 days of program enrollment.
-	40 percent of the disability benefit applications will receive approval, inclusive of initial applications, reconsideration request, and/or appeals and hearing processes.
-	50 percent of participants will enroll into a temporary housing or permanent housing destination while enrolled in the program. This may include housing funded by HDAP Services for Families.
-	50 percent of participants will have a higher income at program exit than at program entry due to disability and/or mainstream benefits.

CEO has confirmed there are no concerns that must be addressed with the contractor’s ownership/name, litigation status or conflicts of County interests. This Contract does not include any subcontractors or pass through to other providers, please see Attachment B for the Contract Summary Form. The Orange County Preference Policy is not applicable to this contract award.

The Office of Care Coordination requests the Board of Supervisors’ (Board) approval of the Contract with VOALA as referenced in the Recommended Actions above. Additionally, CEO confirms that the services to be provided through this Contract adhere to the best practices, guiding principles and commitments of the Homeless Service System Pillars Report which was created by the Commission to End Homelessness and accepted by the Board on October 4, 2022.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

Appropriations for this Contract were included in Budget Control 017 FY 2023-24 Adopted Budget and will be included in the budgeting process for future years. Social Services Agency applies for the HDAP grant, receives the funding and passes it through to the Office of Care Coordination to administer the program.

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 participants, if necessary.

STAFFING IMPACT:

N/A

REVIEWING AGENCIES:

Social Services Agency

ATTACHMENT(S):

Attachment A - Contract MA-017-23011281 with Volunteers of America of Los Angeles
Attachment B - Contract Summary Form