Title
Review and Approve Community Development Block Grant Public Services Funding Recommendations for Fiscal Year 2025-27
Body
To: Honorable President Scott Means and Members of the Social Service Human Relations Board
BACKGROUND
Each year the City of Alameda receives approximately $1.2 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As part of the annual CDBG planning process, the City released the CDBG Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 and 2026 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and Request for Proposals (RFP) on January 16, 2025. Seven nonprofit organizations submitted applications for public services funding. Staff provided the Social Service Human Relations Board (SSHRB) with electronic access for its members to review and score each of the applications. The scores are included in this report as Exhibit 1 (FY 2025-26 CDBG Evaluation Summary).
At the March 27, 2025 SSHRB meeting, staff will briefly review the CDBG funding amounts and staff recommendations. After the presentation, the SSHRB will hear public comment and recommend the organizations and funding amounts for public services funding. Staff will review and finalize the CDBG funding recommendations. The final recommendations will be presented to City Council at the May 6, 2025 Public Hearing. If approved by Council, recipients who were recommended for funding will be awarded for two consecutive years. The second year of funding is dependent on performance and City staff will evaluate programs to ensure program objectives and compliance is met.
DISCUSSION
Funding Availability
Funding for the next fiscal year is derived from two sources: entitlement funds that are allocated by HUD and program income that is generated from CDBG loan repayments. HUD requires that Public Services funding be capped at 15 percent of the current year’s grant allocation plus program income received in the previous fiscal year. Entitlement funds will not be known until HUD releases the Funding Approval Letter in May 2025. Program income will continue to be received through June 30, 2025. Therefore, the actual amount of program income will be determined at fiscal year end.
Staff is proposing funding allocations using the following assumption:
|
Funding Type |
Amount |
15% of Amount |
|
City of Alameda Entitlement (estimated) |
$1,112,658 |
$166,899 |
|
FY 2025-26 Program Income (estimated) |
$60,000 |
$9,000 |
|
Total Estimated Funds Available |
$1,172,658 |
$175,889 |
*Estimates are based on current year entitlement funding and program income (FY 2024-25)
Public Services Applications Received
A public service is non-housing social service that does not impact physical structures. This includes senior services, mental health services, housing counseling, food banks, and more. As previously mentioned, the City received seven public service applications during the NOFA period. Of the seven applications, the Alameda Boys & Girls Club did not submit a supporting document by the NOFA deadline. Due to a discrepancy between public services and capital improvement RFP’s, the City allowed Alameda Boys & Girls Club to submit the required documentation late.
Following is a summary of the Public Services applications that were received, including the goal of unduplicated persons served and FY 2025-26 requested funding amounts.
|
Applicant In alphabetical order |
Services Offered |
Goal Unduplicated Persons Served |
FY 2025-26 Request |
|
Alameda Family Services |
Mental Health for Youth |
65 |
$205,000 |
|
Alameda Food Bank |
Emergency Food Distribution |
4,093 |
$30,000 |
|
Alameda Boys & Girls Club (ABGC) |
Mental Health & Trauma-Informed Care for Youth |
600 |
$86,000 |
|
Building Futures with Women and Children |
Midway Shelter, crisis prevention, Domestic Violence education |
85 |
$105,505 |
|
Eden Council for Hope and Opportunity (ECHO) |
Fair Housing Counseling & Tenant/Landlord Mediation |
125 |
$24,978 |
|
Eden I & R |
Housing Information and Referral Services |
350 |
$26,780 |
|
Family Violence Law Center (FVLC) |
Family Violence Prevention Project |
32 |
$30,000 |
|
Spectrum Community |
Senior Meals Program |
200 |
$21,750 |
|
|
TOTAL |
5,550 |
$503,233 |
Assuming estimated funding of $175,899, funding request of $503,233 exceeds the funds available by $327,334. Yet, all of the applicants provide CDBG-eligible services that have been identified as a priority by SSHRB.
Proposed Public Services Funding for FY 2025-27
Below is a summary of the Public Services applications received, the average score from SSHRB, the FY 2025-26 funding request, and staff’s recommendation for FY 2025-26 funding levels (see Exhibit 1 for the detailed scores provided). In the SSHRB staff report for the December 5, 2024 meeting, staff presented information about past performance from the current public service providers. Many of the current providers have applied for the upcoming funding cycle in anticipation of receiving CDBG funding for the next two years. Upon SSHRB consensus, staff plan to recommend that the most qualified applicants receive funding and enter into two-year service provider agreements once approved by City Council. Based on the average score and highest priority need, staff will recommend funding the top five applicants for the upcoming funding cycle (Spectrum Community, Eden Council for Hope and Opportunity, Family Violence Law Center, Alameda Food Bank, and Building Futures for Women and Children). As seen below, Alameda Boys & Girls Club and Alameda Family Services had the lowest overall score out of the other applicants and will not be recommended for funding. All public service applications were evaluated and scored on specific threshold criteria as seen in the NOFA. This consists of application completeness, eligibility under CDBG regulations, project description, measurable outcomes, timeline, budget, and capacity.
|
Applicant Listed in order of Score |
Score |
Staff’s Recommended Funding |
|
Spectrum Community |
97.75 |
$21,750 |
|
Eden Council for Hope and Opportunity (ECHO) |
95.75 |
$20,000 |
|
Family Violence Law Center (FVLC) |
95.25 |
$25,000 |
|
Alameda Food Bank |
94.75 |
$24,745 |
|
Building Futures for Women and Children |
93.75 |
$84,404 |
|
Alameda Boys & Girls Club (ABGC) |
88.50 |
$0 |
|
Alameda Family Services |
82.50 |
$0 |
|
Eden I & R |
N/A** |
$26,000 |
|
|
|
$201,899 |
* See the following section for information about the specific sources of funds.
** SSHRB reviewers were not asked to score Eden I & R as it provides a needed service and is the sole provider of information and referral services in Alameda County.
Availability of Funds Exceeds Funding Requests
As the funding requests exceed the CDBG funds that are available, staff propose to explore supplemental funding with a goal to support all proposed, eligible, and much needed services. Similar to last year, staff proposed that Eden I & R be funded using CDBG administrative funds instead of CDBG public service funds, which will reduce the number of service providers that are subject to the CDBG public services cap. Eden I & R, also known as 211, provides information and referral services to individuals with low and moderate incomes. Funding sources such as Affordable Housing Unit Fee and future rounds of Prohousing Incentive Program could be considered as supplemental funding for specific projects and programs based on need and eligibility. It must be noted that additional funding sources may not be available in the future and that all organizations are encouraged to raise additional funds to leverage the CDBG funds in the future.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the following:
1) Fund the public services at the levels proposed in the previous section.
2) Fund Eden Information & Referral, using CDBG administrative funds.
3) In the event that the projected CDBG program income for the current fiscal year is more/less than $60,000, then staff recommends the funding for all service providers be increased/decreased on a pro rata basis.
Respectfully submitted by,
C’Mone Falls, Housing and Human Services Manager
Andre Fairley, Management Analyst
EXHIBITS
Exhibit 1: City of Alameda FY 2025-26 CDBG Evaluation Summary