A. MOTION TO ADOPT Resolution of the Board of County Commissioners of Broward County, Florida, authorizing appropriation and disbursement of United States Department Of Housing And Urban Development ("HUD") grant funds in the amount of $7,647,750 and a HUD-required Broward County match of $878,136 for a total amount of $8,525,886 for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019 to provide housing and services for homeless families and individuals; approving funding to specified organizations; authorizing the County Administrator to execute agreements and amendments, and to take all necessary administrative and budgetary actions to implement the agreements; and providing for severability and an effective date.
(Withdrawn for further staff review.)
B. MOTION TO ADOPT budget Resolution of the Board of County Commissioners of Broward County, Florida, providing revenue within the HUD Continuum of Care Fund in the amount of $8,525,886 for homeless supportive services, housing and rental assistance, operational expenses, and administrative expenses.
(Withdrawn for further staff review.)
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THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS DIVISION, AND THE FAMILY SUCCESS ADMINISTRATION DIVISION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTIONS.
These actions support the Commission 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 housing for persons experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness." Funding will provide transitional and permanent beds and related supportive services for homeless individuals and families.
On November 1, 2017, Broward County submitted the annual application for the Homeless Continuum of Care (CoC) Grant funding in response to the 2017 HUD Notice of Funding Availability (NoFA). Twenty-two projects were ranked as Tier 1 and four were ranked as Tier 2; a Planning Project was submitted but is exempt from the ranking and will be fully funded. The HUD Grant competition continues to be highly competitive, resulting in funding reductions for many Florida counties. On January 11, 2018, the County was awarded all requested Tier 1 projects, including a new Youth Rapid Rehousing Permanent Project, and the Planning Project (Exhibit 3). However, two existing Tier 2 projects (Broward III and Fort Lauderdale Chronically Homeless Housing Collaborative), along with a new reallocation project and a bonus project were not funded. The two unfunded Tier 2 projects will result in a initial loss of 84 permanent beds as of November 30 and December 31, 2018. Staff will be requesting approval from HUD for a six month unfunded extension for both projects to ensure successful placement of current clients into other housing. Due to HUD approval of reallocation of existing funds in other projects to create additional beds, there is an overall total net loss of 40 permanent beds from the 2016 HUD award to the 2017 HUD award. The funded 2017 HUD Notice of Funding Availability (NoFA) projects will provide the following: 795 Total Beds (770 permanent beds and 25 transitional housing beds) and supportive services.
Nineteen of the 23 projects pass through Broward County. The start dates of projects identified on Exhibit 1, Attachment A vary due to the different HUD NoFA award dates. Four projects (Broward I, S+C Permanent Housing 100 Units, Rights of Passage, and Red Shield/Plymouth Colony) in the total amount of $2,159,528 do not pass through the County and are received and administered directly by community providers (Exhibit 3). The 19 projects managed by the County total $7,647,750.
The County provides a cash match for the Broward Partnership for the Homeless, Inc.’s Broward IV Project. Four projects: Planning, Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), Hart & Home and Newhart are directly operated by the County’s Human Services Department and require a County in-kind and cash match (Exhibit 1, Attachment A).
Of the 44 projects' outcomes, 75% were met by the providers. The outcomes which were not met are identified in Exhibit 4. The majority of unmet outcomes are related to the HUD Performance Standard of clients maintaining or increasing income. Although attainment was below the targeted local outcome, they exceeded the HUD minimum standards. HUD has approved an adjustment of the outcomes to align with the HUD minimum standards, effective at the start date of the 2017 projects. However, the County's Homeless Initiative Partnership (HIP) staff continues to work with partner agencies to expand opportunities for clients to secure mainstream benefits and increase employment opportunities. Scoring for HUD funding is now focused on system performance measures, not individual program outcomes. The County will continue to measure client benefits and the effectiveness of its programs, utilizing outcome measures along with system performance. Two of the pass-through projects (HMIS and Planning) do not have HUD-assigned outcome measures, but annual performance reports to HUD are required. Projects will be monitored by the County and include outcomes and deliverables that demonstrate a measurable benefit to the Broward County residents served.
Agencies listed on Exhibit 1, Attachment A, were previously reviewed for compliance with the County’s Equal Employment Opportunity, American with Disabilities Act, and Client Non-Discrimination policies, or have certified they are in compliance with these policies, and agencies have certified compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Staff will utilize the previously approved Unit of Service Standard Form Agreement (August 22, 2017, Item No. 12) in addition to the previously approved HUD Addendum (April 4, 2017, Item No. 2). Both the form agreement and addendum were developed and approved as to form by the Office of the County Attorney. Amendments and new agreements will be reviewed and approved by Risk Management and the Office of the County Attorney, before execution by the County Administrator. |