To: Board of Supervisors
From: Marla Stuart, Employment and Human Services Director
Report Title: County Fiscal Letter 21/22-29 with the State of California Health and Human Services, Department of Social Services
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Employment and Human Services Director, or designee, to accept County Fiscal Letter 21/22-29 with the State of California Health and Human Services, Department of Social Services (CDSS) to pay the County an amount not to exceed $4,988,629, to provide emergency housing for immediate protection to prevent the spread of COVID-19 for Project Roomkey, for the period from July 1, 2022 through November 30, 2023.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Acceptance of the Grant Award will result in payment to the County up to $4,988,629 in funding from the State of California Health and Human Services. No County match required.
BACKGROUND:
The goal of Project Room key is to provide non-congregate shelter options for people experiencing homelessness, to protect human life, and minimize strain on health care system capacity. California has demonstrated the need for hotel and motel rooms around the State to immediately provide non-congregate shelter options for the sick and medically vulnerable. Individuals lacking stable housing are more likely to use hospital emergency rooms. In some places, individuals experiencing homelessness made up 20% to 30% of all adult hospital emergency room visits. Patients experiencing homelessness are admitted to inpatient units 5 times more often, and have average lengths of stay that are longer than people who have stable housing. Protecting individuals experiencing homelessness will relieve pressure on the hospital system by separating high-risk individuals who are homeless from COVID-19 positive or persons under investigation, in order to protect public health and safety for the duration of this Public Health Emergency. Approval of County Fiscal Letter 21/22-29 will allow the County to provide emergency homelessness funds to expand immediate shelter and isolation capacity and provide COVID-19 prevention to the homeless population.
During COVID, the Board had suspended the requirement to obtain Board Approval to receive grant funds. However, in FY 22-23, as the pandemic slowed down, the requirement was back in effect. While Project Room Key allocation dates to FY 21-22, the actual expenditures were incurred and claimed for FY 22-23. Due to an administrative oversight, Board Approval was not requested in FY22-23.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this grant is not approved, Contra Costa County will not be able to provide non-congregate shelter for the homeless population causing an increase in deaths due to COVID-19.