Report Prepared by: Laura Ivancich, Housing Program Specialist, Housing Division/Development Services Department
Title
SUBJECT: Approval of Allocation of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Resources, and Approval of Associated Subrecipient Agreement with the County of Merced, on Behalf of its Human Services Agency, for the Respective Program Approved in Support of the Continuum of Care with the Adopted 2022 Annual Action Plan
REPORT IN BRIEF
Considers approving the execution of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Subrecipient Agreement with the County of Merced, on behalf of its Human Services Agency, in the amount of $38,000 for the 2022 Continuum of Care Collaborative Applicant administrative support program.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion:
A. Approving the agreement for the program identified in the 2022 Annual Action Plan using Fiscal Year 2022-23 CDBG funds with the County of Merced on behalf of its Human Services Agency, in the amount of $38,000 for the “City and County Continuum of Care 2022-23 Collaborative Applicant” Program; and,
B. Authorizing the City Manager or the Deputy City Manager to execute, and if necessary, direct staff to make minor modifications to the agreement as described above and as attached, and all associated documents and exhibits; and,
C. Authorizing the Finance Officer to make the necessary budget adjustments.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve, as recommended by staff: or,
2. Approve, subject to conditions other than recommended by staff; or,
3. Deny; or,
4. Refer to City staff for reconsideration of specific items (specific items to be addresses in the motion); or,
5. Continue to a future meeting (date and time to be specified in the motion).
AUTHORITY
Section 200 of the City of Merced Charter, City of Merced 2022 HUD Annual Action Plan, and Title 24 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Part 570 (the HUD regulations concerning CDBG, including Subpart K of these regulations).
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
As approved by City Council on July 5, 2022 and budgeted with Fiscal Year 2022-23 CDBG program funds. The project associated with this agreement being presented for approval aligns with the 2022-23 Council Goals and Priorities, in support of Housing and Homelessness programs that prevent homelessness.
DISCUSSION
Staff is requesting that Council authorize execution of this subrecipient agreement for the use of CDBG funding approved with the 2022 HUD Annual Action Plan for the administrative support to the City and County Continuum of Care (CoC).
Following execution of this agreement, the Merced County Human Services Agency, as the administering body of the City and County Continuum of Care, can then begin submitting invoices for the reimbursement of eligible costs incurred for this program year.
As required, Housing staff has completed the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) environmental review necessary to allow Federal funds to be spent for the project.
The Collaborative Applicant is the business entity of the Merced City and County Continuum of Care (CoC) Program through the Merced County Human Services Agency (HSA). The CoC is a group of governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations that work to prevent and reduce homelessness through the county region, including within the City of Merced city limits, and the Collaborative Applicant, overseen by the HSA, is responsible for ensuring implementation of CoC programs and activities.
The majority of the County’s homeless population lives within the Merced City limits, both sheltered and unsheltered. On its own, the City of Merced lacks the vast resources needed to strategize for and combat the homelessness crisis within its jurisdictional boundaries - thus, the City’s partnership with and fiscal support of the Human Services Agency staff, through the shared administrative funding of the CoC Collaborative Applicant for combating local homelessness, is vital for planning and data collection activities that aim to address the needs of homeless City residents.
With CDBG funding from the City of Merced, the Collaborative Applicant/HSA will be aided in providing administrative support to the Merced City and County CoC board and general membership by:
1. Assisting in planning, administering, and collaborating between County-wide agencies to coordinate resources that address homelessness.
2. Managing and planning the necessary actions to properly ensure data-gathering and reporting goals are met in the Merced County Regional Plan to Address Homelessness including, but not limited to, the Annual Grant Inventory Worksheet, CoC application of funding to HUD, the Annual Homeless Point in Time Count, Housing Inventory Count, and the Annual Homeless Assessment Report.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
This agreement does not require any expenditures from the General Fund. It is a subgrant allocated in the current year budget (Fiscal Year 2022-23), and funds are available within Fund 2501-CDBG Professional Services expense account 511012, Project GR220044.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Agreement for City and County Continuum of Care Program Year 22-23