Title
Recommendation to Authorize the Interim City Manager to Execute a Fourth Amendment to the Agreement with The Village Of Love Foundation for the Provision of Emergency Shelter Services for Alameda Households Experiencing Homelessness as Part of the Emergency Supportive Housing Program by Extending the Term of the Agreement through February 28, 2026 at No Additional Cost.
This project is statutorily exempt from further environmental review pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080.10 (services for people experiencing homelessness), and categorically exempt from further environmental review pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) and 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense). (City Manager 10021833)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff recommends authorizing the Interim City Manager to execute a fourth amendment to the agreement with The Village of Love Foundation (VoL) to continue providing essential shelter services to vulnerable homeless Alameda residents in the Emergency Supportive Housing program, using America Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds. Services include non-congregate shelter in a safe and secure home with case management, mental health, and life skills support. The Fourth Amendment will extend the term through February 28, 2026 at no additional cost.
BACKGROUND
On October 5, 2021, City Council approved The Road Home: A Five-Year Plan to Prevent and Respond to Homelessness in Alameda (The Road Home). The Road Home was a culmination of City Council’s recognition of the need to address homelessness in Alameda and set it as a priority for the City of Alameda (City).
The Emergency Supportive Housing (ESH) program in Alameda meets Goal 2 of The Road Home by increasing access to a homeless emergency response system through the provision of low-barrier temporary housing with a focus on transition to permanent housing. The four ESH homes provide twenty-four beds for family and single adults. Families are sheltered in a single-family home while single adults are provided a private or double room in a home designated for single adults. ESH is a critical program that houses individuals and families who are previously unhoused within a safe, clean and semi-private environment while providing wrap around services to help households and individual secure permanent housing.
On September 20, 2022, City Council approved an Agreement with VoL to provide services for three Emergency Supportive Housing Units. On February 21, 2023, City Council approved the First Amendment to provide services for an additional fourth Emergency Supportive Housing Unit. On October 3, 2024, the Second Amendment was executed to extend the term through December 31, 2024 at no additional cost. On December 3, 2024, City Council approved the Third Amendment to extend the agreement term and associated compensation through December 31, 2025.
In Fall 2025, the Housing and Human Services Division (HHS) conducted an extensive Request for Proposal (RFP) process that invited proposals for both the ESH program operation and for the Day Center/Safe Parking program. A review of the written responses was completed by staff from partner agencies including the cities of Hayward, Berkeley, and Oakland. The top three rated organizations were: Village of Love, Urban Alchemy, and Restorative Pathways formerly known as Ruby’s Place.
In November 2025, City staff and staff from local partner agencies including Alameda Family Services, the Building Futures Mid-County Housing Resource Center, and an Everyone Home Continuum of Care representative, interviewed these top three organizations.
Given that the current agreement term ends December 31, 2025, staff recommends City Council authorize the Interim City Manager to execute a Fourth Amendment to the agreement with VoL to extend the term through February 28, 2026 to provide continued operations for the ESH program and critical program continuity. These additional two months are necessary for staff to finalize the selected provider, conduct agreement negotiations and bring that agreement to City Council for approval.
These four homes ensure individuals and families that would otherwise live on the streets of Alameda have the shelter and support they need to transition to permanent housing while receiving additional much needed resources including financial education, mental and physical health support, substance abuse disorder support, workforce training, and other supports identified through individualized needs planning sessions.
Since opening, 32 individuals living at ESH moved to permanent housing. ESH is an important component in the City’s local continuum of care, moving individuals from the streets to housing.
ALTERNATIVES
• Authorize the Interim City Manager to execute a Fourth Amendment agreement with The Village of Love Foundation to extend the term of the agreement through February 28, 2026, for the provision of emergency shelter services for Alameda households experiencing homelessness in ESH homes.
• Not authorize the Fourth Amendment to the Agreement with VoL which will result in the exit of individuals from the shelter of these homes to the streets of Alameda since the existing agreement expires December 31, 2025. There are currently no other shelter beds in Alameda that can accommodate those currently residing in the fully occupied Emergency Supportive Housing program.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This agreement extension does not require an additional allocation of funds because sufficient funding is available in the existing agreement budget. The ESH program is funded from the one-time American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation approved by City Council on November 16, 2021. The federal government requires that all ARPA funds be fully expended by December 31, 2026 and the program is on track to complete this expenditure within the required timeframe.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the Social Services Human Relations Board Charter and Ordinance authority “to improve social services in the community” (Alameda Municipal Code § 2-11.5) and the Report on Homelessness Policies and Programs.
This action is consistent with Goal 2 of “The Road Home: A Five-Year Strategic Plan to Prevent and Respond to Homelessness in Alameda.”
This program supports the City Strategic Plan Priority to House all Alamedans and End Homelessness, specifically Project HH2b to Implement the Homelessness Strategic Plan including providing the Emergency Supportive Housing.
This action is subject to the Levine Act.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action does not constitute a “project” as defined in California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378 and therefore no further CEQA analysis is required.
Additionally, this project is statutorily exempt from further environmental review pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080.10 (services for people experiencing homelessness), and categorically exempt from further environmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) and 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense).
CLIMATE IMPACT
The Social Vulnerability Assessment section of the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan states: “adaptation strategies should consider how [the homeless] will receive emergency communications and how they will be sheltered. Proper, safe housing for all is an adaptation and resilience strategy. Planning strategies should always consider these vulnerable populations in adaptation efforts.”
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the Interim City Manager to execute a fourth amendment to the agreement with VoL for the provision of emergency shelter services for Alameda households experiencing homelessness as part of the emergency supportive housing program by extending the term of the agreement through February 28, 2026 at no additional cost.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Wooldridge, Assistant City Manager
By,
C’Mone Falls, Housing and Human Services Manager
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Ross McCarthy, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Fourth Amendment to Agreement
2. Original Agreement, First Amendment, Second Amendment, and Third Amendment