REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Agreement with Abode Services Related to Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program
Report
BACKGROUND
Abode Services (Abode), a non-profit agency known as one of the Bay Area’s largest and most effective providers of housing services, has been administering the City’s TBRA Program for several years, first through a subcontract with the County, using funds provided by the City through a revenue sharing agreement with the County. Beginning on August 1, 2015, Abode began administering the program directly through a separate agreement with the City approved by Council on July 28, 2015 (RTC 15-0661).
A portion of the HOME funds previously committed to the County through the revenue sharing agreement, but not fully utilized before that contract terminated, are once again available for use. Staff has drafted a new agreement with Abode (the “Agreement”) to allow these remaining funds to be used by Abode to assist additional clients through the TBRA program.
EXISTING POLICY
2015-2020 Sunnyvale Consolidated Plan:
Goal A-1 Affordable Housing: Support affordable rental housing for lower-income households.
Goal B Alleviation of Homelessness: Help people who are currently homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness to obtain housing, employment or other sources of income, and adequate support services/networks to achieve stability.
Objective 1.b: Continue to implement the TBRA program for homeless and at-risk clients, many of whom have obtained employment through the WorkFirst Sunnyvale Program. The TBRA program provides transitional rental assistance for a term of up to two years, which may include security deposit and/or monthly rental assistance.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” with the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
DISCUSSION
The Agreement is provided in Attachment 1. The funding used for this Agreement is the balance of $371,898 that remained unused under the revenue sharing agreement with the County, which has terminated. Staff recommends entering into a new agreement with Abode for this additional funding, rather than simply amending Abode’s current contract to augment the funding level, in order to simplify tracking of certain HOME grant-related fiscal details for HUD reporting purposes. Abode was initially selected by the County through a competitive procurement process to administer various County TBRA programs as well as the City’s TBRA program, through the revenue sharing agreement. Abode has been capably implementing the program for the City for several years, including the current fiscal year, and staff is unaware of any other agencies interested in or qualified to implement TBRA programs in this area. It would be impractical to have two agencies implementing the City’s program at the same time therefore staff has not sought proposals from other agencies to implement the TBRA program at this time.
The term of the proposed Agreement runs from March 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017, and may be extended by mutual agreement if needed to fully expend the funds (within the expenditure deadlines set by HUD).
Staff estimates the funding provided under the Agreement will be sufficient to provide rental assistance to approximately 12 new households for up to two years each. The number of households assisted may be slightly higher or lower than this estimate, depending on the amount of monthly rental assistance each household requires, which can vary from client to client. This estimate will be in addition to the number of clients assisted through the current contract with Abode.
Although the County will no longer be administering the City’s TBRA program, City staff continues to coordinate with the County staff on regional strategies for housing and homelessness programs, in order to identify areas for potential future partnerships and/or regional programs.
FISCAL IMPACT
The recommended action will not impact the General Fund. Funding for the Agreement comes from the HOME Fund (Fund 71) and was approved by Council as part of the FY 2014-15 Projects Budget and FY 2014-15 HUD Action Plan. The recommended action will ensure that the HOME funds are expended in a timely manner.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve the Agreement with Abode Services, in substantially the same form as Attachment 1 to the report, to provide funding for the Sunnyvale TBRA Program in an amount not to exceed $371,898, and authorize the City Manager to execute the Agreement.
This Agreement provides up to $371,898 in HOME funds for Abode to assist additional clients through the TBRA program through the end of next fiscal year. Approval of this Agreement will allow the available HOME funds to be expended in a timely manner.
Prepared by: Katrina L. Ardina, Housing Programs Analyst
Reviewed by: Suzanne Isé, Housing Officer
Reviewed by: Trudi Ryan, Director, Community Development
Reviewed by: Walter Rossmann, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENT
1. Agreement with Abode Services