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08 Staff Report.County Services for Unhoused Engagement PREPARED BY: Katy Nomura Assistant Town Manager Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Finance Director 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832 www.losgatosca.gov TOWN OF LOS GATOS COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT MEETING DATE: 09/03/2024 ITEM NO: 8 DATE: August 26, 2014 TO: Mayor and Town Council FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager SUBJECT: Authorize the Town Manager to Negotiate and Execute an Agreement with the County of Santa Clara to Provide Unhoused Engagement Services in an Amount Not to Exceed $92,777 of Grant Funds and Authorize an Expenditure and Revenue Budget Adjustment in the Amount of $92,777 to Receive and Use County Grant Funding ($42,777 FY 2023/24 Carryforward Grant and $50,000 FY 2024/25 Grant) RECOMMENDATION: Authorize the Town Manager to negotiate and execute an Agreement with the County of Santa Clara to provide unhoused engagement services in an amount not to exceed $92,777 of grant funds and authorize an Expenditure and Revenue Budget Adjustment in the amount of $92,777 to receive and use County grant funding ($42,777 FY 2023/24 Carryforward Grant and $50,000 FY 2024/25 Grant). BACKGROUND: In December 2023, due to the collaboration and efforts of Supervisor Simitian’s Office, the Town received a $50,000 grant from the County of Santa Clara (County) to provide support for the unhoused in Los Gatos. While initial discussions regarding the grant indicated the funds would be used for case management for the unhoused, the County confirmed the funds can be used for any support services for residents experiencing homelessness. The Town Council subsequently authorized up to $20,000 of these funds to be used for the Hotel Program. $7,223 was used for the Hotel Program and $42,777 remains available for use towards case management and engagement services for the Los Gatos unhoused community. The grant funds must be expended by the Town by June 30, 2025 and are one-time funds. PAGE 2 OF 3 SUBJECT: County Services for Unhoused Engagement DATE: August 26, 2024 BACKGROUND (continued): On June 13, 2024, through collaboration from Supervisor Simitian’s Office, the County Board of Supervisors approved another $50,000 grant for the Town to use towards support for unhoused Los Gatos residents. The County grants have come in support of the Town’s demonstrated investment to support our unhoused community. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023/24, the Town Council allocated $50,000 to unhoused initiatives, including a Hotel Program to provide shelter in inclement weather. The Town Council continued its support for the unhoused with a budget allocation of $60,000 in FY 2024/25. These funds will be used for a variety of unhoused support, including the Hotel Program, shower program, food pantry, and other efforts. DISCUSSION: Town staff have been working closely with the County’s Office of Supportive Housing (OSH) to ensure that any unhoused case management and engagement services would work in tandem with the existing support provided to the unhoused throughout the community. OSH has clarified that these services are referred to collectively as engagement services and involve proactive outreach and support to help the unhoused access services and housing. It has been determined that the best path forward would be to contract unhoused engagement services through OSH to leverage their existing contracts, ensure cohesive implementation, and expand on services already provided through OSH. Currently, OSH provides outreach teams to provide unhoused engagement services such as identifying, assessing, and referring unhoused individuals to appropriate housing programs and services. These teams assess individual housing needs and address a person’s mental health, substance use disorder, and/or medical needs by building trust between the individual and the service teams and identifying opportunities through which other services and housing can be provided. The goal is to build some level of rapport with the individuals over a period of time, help the individuals seek services that, at a minimum, would address their basic needs. These teams currently serve Los Gatos on a limited basis for a few hours a month, when available, as they are responsible for meeting the needs throughout the County. The recommended dedicated funding through an agreement with the County would ensure a consistent presence in the Town, enabling outreach teams to build rapport with unhoused individuals. This dedicated funding would also allow for coordination between the Town and County staff to identify individuals and geographic areas for deployment, so the outreach is responsive to the Town’s needs. It is anticipated that there would be weekly outreach to Los Gatos under this arrangement in the initial phases and the frequency would be adjusted to best suit the needs of the Town and budget allocated for this effort. The Town would work directly with County staff to monitor the progress and resources deployed under this contract, with a reporting mechanism that would include the number of unhoused served in the Town, the PAGE 3 OF 3 SUBJECT: County Services for Unhoused Engagement DATE: August 26, 2024 DISCUSSION (continued): number assessed for housing, and the number of individuals housed. While the number of individuals housed depends on many factors and may not be a direct reflection of the value of the effort, it is worth tracking as any progress in this direction would be a success. If the Town Council moves forward, it is anticipated that an agreement with the County can be finalized in the next couple of months with implementation shortly thereafter. To launch the services, OSH would coordinate a resource fair at no additional cost to the Town to provide resources for the Los Gatos unhoused community. OSH has also offered information and assistance to Town staff in preparing a submission of a multi-year grant application to Destination: Home that could be leveraged to increase services in Los Gatos in coordination with other West Valley communities. CONCLUSION: Staff recommends that the Town Council authorize the Town Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with the County for unhoused engagement services for an amount not to exceed $92,777. This would require revenue and expenditure budget adjustments in the amount of $92,777 to recognize the County grant revenue to be used for this purpose. COORDINATION: The preparation of this report was coordinated between the Town Manager’s Office, the Town Attorney, the Finance Department, and the County’s Office of Supportive Housing. FISCAL IMPACT: Sufficient grant funding from the County has been awarded to the Town to cover the costs of this agreement, with $42,777 from a carryforward FY 2023/24 grant and $50,000 from a FY 2024/25 grant. To recognize those funds in the current fiscal year, revenue and expenditure budget adjustments in the amount of $92,777 are required. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: This is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required.