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Adopt a resolution to receive a noncompetitive allocation award of $92,000 under the Transitional Housing Program (THP) to assist young adults aged 18 to 25 years that were formerly under the supervision of the Probation Department to find and maintain housing through providing first month’s rent and deposit or through short term rental assistance; Approve an Appropriations Transfer Request (ATR) to recognize the unanticipated allocation award revenue (4/5 vote required); and Delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute the allocation award documents with the California Department of Housing and Community Development and other related documents necessary to accept the award
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Health and Social Services recommends that the Board:
1) Adopt a resolution to receive a noncompetitive allocation award of $92,000 under the Transitional Housing Program (THP) to assist young adults aged 18 to 25 years that were formerly under the supervision of the Probation Department to find and maintain housing;
2) Approve an Appropriations Transfer Request (ATR) to recognize the unanticipated allocation award revenue (4/5 vote required); and
3) Delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute allocation award documents with the California Department of Housing and Community Development and other related documents necessary to accept the award.
SUMMARY:
When left without support or resources, young adults aged 18 to 25 years (“transition age youth") can face many barriers to finding safe, affordable homes. As a result, many of these transition age youth are at extreme risk of falling into homelessness. The Transitional Housing Program (THP) traditionally provides funding to counties for child welfare service agencies to help young adults aged 18 to 25 years find and maintain housing, with priority given to those formerly in the foster care system. The State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has created an additional priority population that may be targeted through 2022. Not only can the program serve young adults formerly in the foster care system, but as an alternative it has been encouraged to create programs which target young adults that were formerly in the probation system.
For the 2020 THP grants, HCD has allocated approximately $8 million to counties based upon each county's percentage of the total statewide number of young adults aged 18 to 25 years in foster care. The allocations are considered “Over-the-Counter,” meaning that the grant is non-competitive and provided to counties without a physical application or program plan in place. The single requirement for the THP is that funds are expended to help young adults to identify, secure, and maintain housing through providing services such as first month’s rent, deposit, and temporary rental assistance. In July 2021 and 2022, simple program reports must be submitted to HCD indicating how many young adults were served between the ages of 18 and 25, and what funds were used for (i.e. rental deposit, rental assistance, or housing location).
With the new THP target group of young adults formerly under the supervision of the Probation Department (“Probation”), the Health and Social Services Department (H&SS) shared the information with Probation to explore partnership opportunities to impact housing insecurity and homelessness more broadly. H&SS has contracts with local providers to offer transitional housing services that target former foster youth, and by partnering with Probation for the THP to uniquely target their clients, similar services can be readily available for former probationers. This partnership would cast a much wider net for vulnerable residents facing barriers to housing and self sufficiency. Probation expressed great interest in this opportunity to serve its clients, many of whom are often housing insecure. With Probation confirming their interest and ability to spend down funds by the program deadline of June 30, 2022, the Board is being asked to adopt the THP resolution associated with this item, thereby accepting the allocation award.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2019/20 Adopted Budget. This award will provide an allocation of funding to target probationers age 18 to 25 for assistance with securing permanent housing.
DISCUSSION:
According to Solano’s 2019 Homeless Point in Time Count, 18% of the homeless population, or 207 individuals, were between the ages of 18 and 24. When supplied with housing resources and programs, Probation Departments can play a key role in broadly impacting youth homelessness, as they support a population that are often at a higher risk of becoming homeless than the general population. Studies show that individuals supervised by Probation Departments can be up to 10 times more likely than the general public to face homelessness, with unemployment rates up to five times higher than the general population. As Solano Probation Officers and their contract agencies support young adults that are often working to secure income, employment, and education, all while integrating back into the community, Probation can utilize this THP funding to impact homelessness by helping bridge the gap to housing stability for those that they serve. Whether it be through providing first month’s rent and deposit or through offering temporary and short-term rental assistance, the THP grant can be utilized flexibly to help ensure that Solano residents ages 18 to 25 and formerly under the supervision of Probation can access and maintain stable housing through this allocation coming available.
H&SS is the required applicant for the THP program, and as such, they are the responsible department for applying for the THP allocation award. Through an interdepartmental agreement, following a subsequent allocation award, the intent would be for the funding to be transferred to the Probation Department to directly oversee the THP allocation, its implementation, and annual report of individuals served to HCD in July 2021 and 2022. Program funds must be fully expended by June 30, 2022, and both H&SS and the Probation Department don’t foresee issues with drawing down the full $92,000 allocation within that time.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to adopt a resolution authorizing the application and acceptance of the noncompetitive allocation award. However, nonacceptance would lead to less funding being available in the community to support a young adult population that is often at a higher risk of becoming homeless than the general population.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Probation Department concurs with the departmental recommendation. Through an interdepartmental agreement, H&SS will work in partnership with the Probation Department to implement the THP grant. Probation will be responsible for the program’s implementation, as well as providing the annual report of individuals served to HCD.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION