Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Alameda County to Accept $60,000 in Funding for the Local Winter Warming Services Program; and
Authorize the City Manager to Execute a First Amendment to the Agreement with Building Futures with Women and Children to Provide Winter Warming Services For $60,000, Resulting in a Total Contract Amount of $113,000; and
Adoption of Resolution Amending the Budget to Increase Revenue and Expenditure Appropriations in the Homelessness Program by $60,000. (Community Development 10061833)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff is recommending that the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Alameda County (County) to accept $60,000 for Winter Warming Services in the . In addition, staff is recommending that the City Council authorize the City Manager to amend an agreement with Building Futures with Women and Children (Building Futures) to provide Winter Warming Services for $60,000.
This proposal would allocate $60,000 of funding from the County to Building Futures. This funding would be added to an existing contract for $53,000 and would allow Building Futures to reserve a minimum of seven (7) hotel rooms to provide emergency shelter for up to 50 nights between the dates of November 15, 2021 and April 15, 2022. Additional hotel rooms may be provided as funding allows. Hotel rooms would be reserved in advance using the best reasonable negotiated rate. These rooms would be made available to homeless individuals, with priority given to those over 65 and/or with chronic health conditions, to stay for the duration of the program. Building Futures would provide staff oversight of the program along with meals, case management, referrals to services including housing support, and warm clothing for those in need.
BACKGROUND
The City Council has identified addressing homelessness as one of its key priorities. As a result, in January of 2021, work began on a five-year plan to address homelessness. The resulting strategic plan, The Road Home: A Five-Year Plan to Prevent and Respond to Homelessness in Alameda, was approved by the City Council on October 5, 2021.
The initial model for Winter Warming Services was based on group sheltering, but for health and safety reasons the model was adapted due to the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2020. The Winter Warming Services now provide hotel stays for the most vulnerable unhoused individuals, with priority given to those over 65 and/or with chronic health conditions. In the last fiscal year, six rooms were provided.
Strategy 2.2 of The Road Home recommends providing low-barrier, housing-focused temporary housing. Strategy 2.3 recommends expanding outreach and supportive services to unsheltered households. By providing Winter Warming Services, Alameda is not only providing shelter to the most vulnerable, but is also creating a way for unhoused individuals to connect with housing and supportive resources.
Three of the six persons in the Winter Warming Services program were offered permanent housing. Two accepted and are still housed, the third was a “no-show” for the offered housing.
Building Futures has started to plan for the Winter Warming Services program with the initial $53,000. This contract has allowed it to prepare to begin sheltering the unhoused Thanksgiving week.
DISCUSSION
Inclement weather in the winter and spring seasons bring conditions hazardous to life for those living without shelter. This is particularly true for homeless individuals over 65 and/or with chronic health conditions, the targeted group for Winter Warming Services programming. The homeless population is rapidly aging, with median age of people accessing services rising from 39.6 years to 51 years.
By approving the recommendations, $60,000 in funding from Alameda County would supplement an existing $53,000 contract with the City of Alameda (City) to allow Building Futures to receive $113,000 to provide Winter Warming Services. With support from this funding, seven of the most vulnerable among the homeless population would have access to up to 50 days of shelter in a hotel, 2 meals a day, case management, referral services and warm clothing. Services provided would include staff oversight of the program as well as daily room inspections to review habitability and condition of rooms, and to address any issues with participants.
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute a $60,000 contract with Alameda County for Winter Warming Services. In addition, staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute a first amendment to the agreement with Building Futures to provide and additional $60,000 for Winter Warming Services for a total of $113,000.
ALTERNATIVES
• Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Alameda County to accept $60,000 for Winter Warming Services and execute a first amendment to an agreement with Building Futures to provide and additional $60,000 for the Winter Warming Services program, for a total contract amount of $113,000.
• Decline to authorize acceptance of the County funding and terminate the original contract with Building Futures.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
With acceptance of this proposal, the City would receive $60,000 in revenue from the County for the Winter Warming Services program, which the City would then pass-through to Building Futures to implement the program.
|
Budget Request |
Revenue/ Expenditure |
Account |
Description |
Budget Amount |
|
Proposed Agreement - Alameda County |
Revenue |
10061833-32340 |
Homelessness - County Grant |
$60,000 |
|
Proposed First Amendment to Agreement - Building Futures |
Expenditure |
10061833-52010 |
Homelessness - Professional Services |
$60,000 |
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 Section 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 Secure a Housing Future for All Alamedans.”
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) section 15378(b)(5) (not a project); and section 15601(b)(3) (no significant environmental impact).
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.”
The Winter Warming Services program provides a safe, warm shelter those who are unhoused and most vulnerable in Alameda while connecting them to meals, referral services and warm clothing.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Alameda County to accept $60,000 in funding for the local Winter Warming Services Program;
Authorize the City Manager to execute a first amendment to the agreement with Building Futures with Women and Children to provide Winter Warming Services for $60,000, resulting in a total contract amount of $113,000; and
Adopt a resolution amending the budget to increase Revenue and Expenditure Appropriations in the Homelessness Program by $60,000.
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager recommends approval of adoption of the resolution amending the budget to increase Revenue and Expenditure appropriations in the Homelessness Program by $60,000.
Respectfully Submitted,
Lisa Nelson Maxwell, Community Development Director
By:
Veronika Cole, Community Services Manager
Lois Butler, Economic Development and Community Services Manager
Financial impact section reviewed,
By: Annie To, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. County Contract
2. Building Futures with Women and Children Contract Amendment
3. Building Futures with Women and Children Original Contract
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager