Approve agreement with Yolo Crisis Nursery in the amount of $123,324 from the Effective date of the agreement through June 30, 2025 for the provision of housing and homeless services including support services to families and individuals that are homeless or at risk of homelessness or experiencing a crisis with a child under age five (5). (No general fund impact) (Sullivan)

Approve agreement with Yolo Crisis Nursery in the amount of $123,324 from the Effective date of the agreement through June 30, 2025 for the provision of housing and homeless services including support services to families and individuals that are homeless or at risk of homelessness or experiencing a crisis with a child under age five (5).

Funding Background:
In 2019 with the passing of Assembly Bill 101, the State enacted the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program (HHAP) that provides funding to cities, counties, and local continuums of care to assist persons experiencing or at risk of homelessness throughout California. There have been several rounds of HHAP grant funding since then. On or about December 17, 2021 (revised May 26, 2022), the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council (HCFC) announced the availability of HHAP Round 4 grant funding (“HHAP Round 4 funding”). HHAP Round 4 funding is a $1 billion block grant program authorized by AB 140 (see also, California Health & Safety Code section 50216, et. seq.). On or about October 11, 2021, County via the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) submitted an application for HHAP Round 4 funding. On or about January 14, 2022, County received notice that it was awarded initial disbursement of HHAP Round 4 funding. Subsequently, the County entered into Yolo County Agreement No. 23-101 (also known as State Agreement No. 23-HHAP-10073) to accept the initial disbursement of HHAP Round 4 funding.

Now HHSA requests approval of this agreement with Yolo Crisis Nursery utilizing HHAP Round 4 funding for the provision of providing housing and homeless services, including Support services to families and individuals that are homeless or at risk of homelessness or experiencing a crisis with a child under age five.

Services will include Case management, crisis intervention, risk assessments, safety planning, housing navigation services, housing and homeless services, income and employment services, general assistance, and emergency child care for families in crisis.

If these services are not approved, it will put families at risk of becoming homeless and create barriers to families that are currently unhoused by not having access to a safe place for their children to stay while in a crisis or when they are working to employment and housing.

Performance Measures included in this Agreement are as follows:
There are no current performance measures data for this agreement as it is a new agreement.   Performance Measures data will be tracked on this agreement (see Attachment A, Exhibit F) and will be available to this Board and the public over the term of the agreement. The County is currently receiving crisis care services under a separate agreement with HHSA. Under that agreement the Yolo Crisis Nursery successfully served 178 individuals with overnight crisis care, 28555 individuals were served with day crisis care, and 963 families utilized subsidized childcare in FY23-24. In FY23-24, 96% of individuals successfully met Yolo Crisis Nursery Intensive Services case plan goals and 88% of individuals self reported a decrease in level of stress at time-of-service exit, Lastly, 92% of individuals had a reduction in their needs assessment score at the time-of-service exit.

These services went through a multiple-tiered procurement process. On or about September 7, 2023, the County via the General Services Department, Procurement Division (GSD) issued a Request for Proposals to be funded under the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG RFP). The CSBG RFP was open for 42 days. On September 21, 2023, GSD and HHSA offered potential bidders an opportunity to ask questions during a bidder’s conference. The County received four (4) proposal(s) from this solicitation. Proposals were submitted by Short Term Emergency Aid Committee (STEAC), Yolo County Children’s Alliance, Yolo Crisis Nursery, and Yolo Wayfarer Center dba Fourth and Hope.

On January 9, 2024 the Community Services Action Board (CSAB) directed that the proposals be submitted to the Executive Commission on Homelesseness to be considered for HHAP4 funding, which would allow the CSBG funds to be used for a permanent CSBG analyst as recommended by the Community Services Department, administrator of the CSBG funds. The providers that had submitted proposals were subsequently notified of the funding change and that the proposals would be taken to the Executive Commission on Homelessness to request to be funded with HHAP4 funding. All the providers agreed.

On February 19, 2024 the Executive Commission on Homelessness board members received a staff report for each proposal, each providers proposal and a PowerPoint presentation.

On March 7, 2024, each provider had to present their proposal for homeless support services to the Homelessness Commission and the Homelessness Commission. Their final decision recommended this award to Yolo Crisis Nursery.