Broward County Commission Regular Meeting

A. MOTION TO APPROVE Amendment No. 0002 to Contract No. JP002 between Broward County and Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) from October 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019, for the purpose of consolidating all homelessness related services funded under the DCF Local Coalition (LC), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Grant (TANF), and Challenge Grant under one Unified Homeless Contract in the total amount of $1,174,000; authorizing the County Administrator to execute renewal options and amendments; authorizing the County Administrator to take any necessary budgetary and administrative action related to this contract; authorizing the County Administrator to execute amendments which do not increase the total funding amount above $1,200,000; authorizing the County Administrator to execute the Agreements with the sub-grantees; and authorizing the Mayor and Clerk to execute same.

ACTION:  (T-10:33 AM)  Approved.
 
VOTE: 6-0.  Commissioner LaMarca and Mayor Sharief were not present during the vote.  Commissioner Ryan was not present. 

B. MOTION TO ADOPT budget Resolution No. 2017-439 in the Unified Homeless Grant Fund to appropriate revenue in the annual amount of $533,429 for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 from DCF for the purposes of consolidating four DCF grants (Local Homeless Coalition Grant Fund, ESG Grant Fund, State TANF Fund, Challenge Grant Fund) for a range of homeless services.

ACTION:  (T-10:33 AM)  Approved.
 
VOTE: 6-0.  Commissioner LaMarca and Mayor Sharief were not present during the vote.  Commissioner Ryan was not present. 

Broward County Administrative Code, Section 23.7 requires Board approval for the appropriation and disbursement of funds to external agencies. Florida Statutes, Chapter 129.06.2d requires Board approval to provide for additional source of revenue.

A. Amends the current DCF Grant Agreement to replace it with a new Unified Homeless Grant Agreement that incorporates all four DCF grant agreements.

B. Aligns four grant funding streams under one grant.

Agreement No. JP002 was approved via Agenda Item No. 81 on August 16, 2016; Multi-year Contract Amount correction was approved via Agenda Item No. 13 on August 22, 2017.

THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS DIVISION, RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTIONS.

These recommendations support the Board's Value of “Approaching human services collaboratively and compassionately, with special emphasis on the most vulnerable,” and the Goal to “Collaborate with public and private partners to find creative, equitable, and responsible solutions to systemic community problems, especially permanent, supportive housing for persons experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness," by performing the statutory duties and responsibilities of a local homeless coalition and lead agency for homeless assistance continuum of care planning in Broward County.

On June 29, 2017, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) notified the Homeless Initiative Partnerships Section, Community Partnerships Division (HIP) of it's intent to combine all four DCF homeless grants into a Unified Grant Agreement. On August 22, 2017, Amendment 0002 to Agreement JP002 and the Unified Grant Agreement were corrected.

Amendment 0002 to Agreement JP002 (Exhibit 2), replaces the LC, with a new Unified Homeless Contract,  incorporating the LC, the ESG, TANF, and Challenge Grant into one multi-year Unified Agreement. The new Unified Homeless Contract includes all existing funding for currently provided homeless services and does not include any additional funding. Broward County will continue to perform the functions of a local homeless coalition and lead agency for homeless assistance. The LC grant was originally approved during the 2016 Summer Recess process and the Board was notified via Item 81. On August 22, 2017 (Item No. 13), the Board approved corrections to LC grant as requested by DCF. In addition, Amendment No. 0002 includes the ESG for the purpose of emergency shelter essential services and rapid rehousing services for persons experiencing homelessness; the TANF for the purpose of preventing homelessness with stabilization funds and case management; and the Challenge Grant for the purpose of providing permanent housing, case management and landlord recruitment currently performed under separate agreements. The ESG, TANF and Challenge grants were previously approved by the Board on January 10, 2017 (Item No. 3).  

All performance outcomes under the current agreements have been met and the consolidation of the Unified Homeless Contract will have no impact on performance measures.

The Amendment 0002 is in DCF's standard form and has been reviewed and approved by the Office of the County Attorney who identified standard disclosures (Exhibit 4).

Mandy Wells, Director, Community Partnerships Division, 954-357-6398
Michael Wright, Administrator, Homeless Initiative Partnership Section, 954-357-6167