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Receive a presentation regarding 1) a grant award of $6,301,108 from the California Health Facilities Finance Authority (CHFFA) for proposed construction of a 16-bed licensed Residential Mental Health Diversion Program and 2) a grant award of $1,256,129 under the Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Program to support proposed construction of a 16-bed Board and Care housing program for adult residents experiencing housing insecurity and a mental illness; Accept the grant awards to support the proposed construction of the 32-bed project at the 275 Beck Ave Health and Social Services Campus; Approve subsequent Appropriations Transfer Requests (ATR) to recognize the unanticipated allocation awards revenues (4/5 vote required); and Delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute the subsequent allocation award documents for these grants and other related documents necessary to accept the awards
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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) Receive a presentation regarding: 1) a grant award of $6,301,108 from the California Health Facilities Finance Authority (CHFFA) for proposed construction of a 16-bed licensed Residential Mental Health Diversion Program and 2) a grant award of $1,256,129 under the Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Program to support proposed construction of a 16-bed Board and Care housing program for adult residents experiencing housing insecurity and a mental illness;
2) Accept the grant awards to support the proposed construction of the 32-bed project at the 275 Beck Ave Health and Social Services Campus;
3) Approve subsequent Appropriations Transfer Requests (ATR) to recognize the unanticipated allocation awards revenues (4/5 vote required); and
4) Delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute the subsequent allocation award documents for these grants and other related documents necessary to accept the awards
SUMMARY:
Statewide and locally, communities have experienced a shortage in appropriate board/care housing and intensive residential treatment settings for adults with severe mental illness. This has had subsequent effects on both mental health treatment and homelessness. As a result, estimates suggest that one-third of individuals identified as chronically homeless suffer from severe mental illness. Last year, County staff had developed a 32 bed concept that would provide 16 beds of intensive residential mental health treatment and 16 beds of traditional board and care beds for clients with mental illness who face a risk of housing insecurity. Assemblymember Frazier supported this concept with AB 1769 to provide State General Fund for construction of the project to be located at the 275 Beck Ave Health and Social Services Campus. While the bill passed the health committee, the proposed project unfortunately did not get funded. Since that time, with continued support from a list of community stakeholders and leaders, County staff have continued supporting the proposed project development as a priority to help meet community needs related to mental health services, jail diversion, and homelessness. The location on the Beck Campus enables this project to be more feasible as there are no residential neighbors who would be impacted.
Despite the lack of direct State funding through AB 1769, Staff have continued to seek funding sources to help the project concept be realized, and through receiving two recent grant awards from the California Health Facilities Financing Authority (CHFFA) and the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council (HCFC) totaling $7,557,537, a unique opportunity exists to develop this site and impact local jail diversion, mental health treatment, and homelessness.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2019/20 Adopted Budget. These grants bring $7,557,537 to support the development of a board and care facility for mental health clients.
DISCUSSION:
In December 2019, the Health and Social Services Department (H&SS) applied for a large grant through the California Health Facilities Financing Authority (CHFFA), submitting an application in the Community Services Infrastructure (CSI) grant program. In March 2020, H&SS was awarded a CSI grant in the amount of $6,301,108 to create additional facilities that provide mental health, substance use, or domestic violence treatment services, specifically to add to the community resources available that can serve as diversion from Jail. These funds do not require that a client is in formal diversion status (charged with a crime and court-ordered to mental health services as a diversion from jail). It does require that the funds serve the population that is involved with criminal justice resources, which can be through law enforcement interaction or arrest.
Solano’s CHFFA project was one of nine total projects awarded statewide through the 2019 CSI, two of which are in Los Angeles County. H&SS submitted the proposal to fund half of the project concept as a phase one of construction, developing 16 residential treatment beds in a licensed board and care. Prior to submitting the application for CHFFA, the project development included notification to the businesses neighboring the Beck campus. Some members of the public attended a public meeting and, upon better understanding of the project and the population served, have expressed general support of the project. Additionally, the Solano County Mental Health Advisory board unanimously endorsed the project concept, and letters of support were drafted and signed by the Sheriff, the Probation Department, Public Defender, Superior Court, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The proposed program services for the site would be procured to be implemented by a community based, mental health agency contractor. To meet CHFFA requirements related to construction time, this 16-bed residential treatment site would be ready to open by June 2022. This is achievable because the grant requires that this may not be a new-build; this project will meet the June 2022 deadline through utilization of pre-manufactured modules.
To support a proposed second phase of construction on the site, an additional funding source identified for the alternate16-beds of this project came through the Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Program. H&SS applied for the HHAP grant program in January 2020. The HHAP allocation formula was based upon the bi-annual Point in Time (PIT) Count of homeless individuals in each county and therefore H&SS was eligible to apply for an allocation of $1,256,129. On March 16, 2020, H&SS received notification from the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council (HCFC) that Solano County has received its full allocation to be used for supporting the development of the 16 Board and Care beds that would serve individuals with a mental illness and who face housing insecurity. Funding is eligible to be spent within 5-years from the receipt of the grant award. HHAP also requires that at least 8% of the funds are utilized for youth and young adults. With that, two beds will be set aside in this board and care for young adults age 18 to 24. With the Board of Supervisors accepting the HHAP grant award for this proposed project, a remaining amount of approximately $6.4 million will be pursued by staff to complete this second phase of construction for 16 mental health board and care beds
The proposed project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under the 32 categorical exemption. Class 32 applies to the infill projects that are consistent with applicable general plans, on a project site of no more than five acres substantially surrounded by urban uses with no value as habitat for endangered species, and no significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality or water quality. (CEQA Guidelines, § 15332.) With assistance from the Department of Resource Management, staff will file a Notice of Exemption if the Board authorizes the project to proceed.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to accept these grant awards. This is not recommended because the County would not receive over $7.5M in funding to initiate the development of the 32-bed facility envisioned for mental health clients on the Beck campus, a project previously endorsed by this Board.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Department of Health and Social Services has worked closely with General Services in the planning and development of this project and will continue to do so during the implementation. Stakeholders in the mental health community have been involved and supportive of the development of this project, including Sheriff, Probation, Public Defender, Superior Court, Solano County Mental Health Advisory Board, and NAMI. The Department of Resource Management wll assist in the preparation of the Categorical Exemption under CEQA in conjunction with County Counsel.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION