| | | | | | | | Agenda Item - 3.c.
City of Garden Grove
INTER-DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM
| To: | Scott C. Stiles
| From: | Lisa L. Kim
| | Dept.: | City Manager/Director
| Dept.: | Community and Economic Development
| | Subject: | Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Garden Grove Housing Authority and the City of Garden Grove for the transfer of emergency housing voucher service fees. (Joint Action Item with the Garden Grove Housing Authority.) | Date: | 8/24/2021 |
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| | | | | | | | OBJECTIVE
For the City Council in a joint action with the Garden Grove Housing Authority to approve a Memorandum of Understanding for the transfer of Emergency Housing Voucher Service Fees. |
| | | | | | | | BACKGROUND
On May 10, 2021, the Garden Grove Housing Authority (GGHA) received an award of 117 Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs) from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide housing assistance to individuals and families who are homeless, at-risk of homelessness, fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking, or who were recently homeless.
As authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law No: 117-2), HUD’s allocation of 117 EHV’s included the allocation of Service Fees equal to $3,500 per voucher, or $409,500 total, to provide EHV-eligible households with housing navigation services. HUD’s allocation of EHV’s does not include the provision of funding for post-lease, housing sustainability services.
The City's Community and Economic Development Department has existing agreements with non-profit service providers specializing in providing Housing Navigation Services and, as a result, has the experience and is the appropriate division in the City to facilitate the provision of Housing Navigation Services for EHV eligible households. The MOU for the transfer of service fees under the EHV program will facilitate implementation of the programs to implement the EHV program. |
| | | | | | | | DISCUSSION
There are two types of services associated with the administration of a rental assistance program: 1) Housing Navigation and 2) Housing Sustainability.
1. Housing Navigation – The services and resources provided to a household prior to signing the lease to rent a specific housing unit. These pre-lease services include:
- Housing search assistance
- Application and holding fee assistance
- Security and utility deposit assistance
- Property owner recruitment and incentives
- Moving expense assistance
- Tenant-readiness (i.e. addressing negative credit and/or rental history)
- Essential household items
- Renter’s insurance
See attached HUD Notice PIH2021-15 for a full list of EHV-eligible Housing Navigation Services.
2. Housing Sustainability – The services and resources provided to a household after signing a lease to rent a specific housing unit. These post-lease services include:
- Home maintenance
- Community and independent living skills
- Intensive case management
- Connection to all available resources
- Transportation
- Child care
- Landlord mediation
As a contingency of accepting EHV, the GGHA “is strongly encouraged to consult with its [Continuum of Care] and its other homeless services/victim services referral partners in establishing which activities it will undertake in support of EHV’s…”. To this end, the GGHA has enlisted the assistance of the Community and Economic Development Department (CEDD) staff for a list of non-profit service providers specializing in both Housing Navigation and Sustainability services to provide EHV-eligible households with the assistance needed to procure and maintain suitable housing units.
Currently, the City contracts with six (6) non-profit service providers to operate Rapid Rehousing (i.e. rental assistance) programs for Garden Grove residents. These service providers have active funding agreements enabling them to provide Housing Sustainability services to EHV-eligible households, which (upon approval of this MOU by the City and GGHA) will be amended by the City to include available EHV Service Fees to provide eligible Housing Navigation services.
The proposed service providers, as well as their estimated allocation of EHV’s and associated Service Fees are summarized in the following table.
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Service
Provider
|
Estimated EHV Allocation
|
EHV Service Fee Amount
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Interval House
|
15
|
$52,500
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Community Action Partnership OC
|
10
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$35,000
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StandUp For Kids OC
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10
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$35,000
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Families Forward
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10
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$35,000
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Illumination Foundation
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10
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$35,000
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OCAPICA
|
10
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$35,000
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Housing for Health OC*
|
52
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$182,000
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TOTALS
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117
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$409,500
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*Housing for Health OC (HHOC) is made up of four (4) of the region’s most respected non-profit service providers (Mercy House, Jamboree Housing, American Family Housing, and Friendship Shelter) and works as a subcontractor of the State-funded, County-operated Whole Person Care (WPC) Program. |
| | | | | | | | FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no impact to the General Fund, nor is there an impact to any previously approved GGHA budget. The funds being transferred were allocated by HUD to the GGHA to provide Housing Navigation Services to households receiving an EHV. |
| | | | | | | | RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council in a joint action with the Garden Grove Housing Authority:
- Approve the Memorandum of Understanding for the transfer of Emergency Housing Voucher Fees from the Garden Grove Housing Authority to the City of Garden Grove;
- Authorize the City Manager/Executive Director to execute the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the City and on behalf of the Garden Grove Housing Authority; and
- Authorize the City Manager to execute new and amended sub-recipient agreements with service providers to implement the Emergency Voucher Program, and to make minor modifications to the agreements as appropriate on behalf of the City.
By: Nate Robbins, Senior Program Specialist
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