Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution amends the 2023 Adopted Operating Budget for the Community Development Division (CDD) to reflect the grant award amounts for the Continuum of Care grant program. The EHH grant award combines funds from the State of Wisconsin Housing Assistance Program (HAP), Homeless Prevention Program (HPP), and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG). Under the proposed amendment, CDD's 2023 Adopted Budget will reflect the following increases to Revenues and Purchased Services:
• Emergency Solutions Grant: $326,081.00 (Munis Project 83023)
• Homeless Prevention Program: $151,535.00 (Munis Project 83123)
• Housing Assistance Program: $150,000.00 (Munis Project 83223)
This resolution also authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to execute agreements with the nonprofit agencies, specified below and in the attachment, to provide services using these EHH funds.
Title
Authorizing the City of Madison, on behalf of the Dane County Continuum of Care, to accept an aggregate EHH grant award of up to $627,616 from the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration; authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute agreements with specific Dane County CoC agencies selected by the CoC Board of Directors to receive the EHH funds; and amending the Community Development Division's 2023 Adopted Operating Budget to reflect receipt of the funds.
Body
BACKGROUND
The City of Madison works closely with Dane County Continuum of Care (CoC) member agencies that serve people experiencing homelessness and those at risk of becoming homeless, and provides leadership and administrative support to the group. This collaborative work includes the City's administration of the State of Wisconsin EHH grant (EHH) on behalf of the Dane County CoC.
EHH funds combine the HUD Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), the State of Wisconsin Homeless Prevention Program (HPP), and the Housing Assistance Program (HAP). These funds are used to support a range of homeless services activities, including emergency shelter services, street outreach initiatives, homeless prevention efforts, rapid re-housing programs, other housing programs, and administration.
Annually, the State Department of Administration's Division of Energy, Housing, and Community Resources ("the State") distributes available funds across four Wisconsin Continua of Care (CoC) serving Dane, Milwaukee, Racine, and the Balance of State regions. The allocation among these CoCs is determined through a comprehensive formula, taking into account various factors such as Point in Time survey counts and system performance. Within the Dane County CoC, the allocation and utilization of the funds are determined by the CoC Board of Directors through an open and competitive process.
For the 2023-2024 grant cycle, the State has allocated $627,616 in EHH funds to the Dane County CoC. The local allocation process began with a competitive RFP held by the Dane County CoC in 2022, with the intention to award funds to agencies for a two-year period, covering both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 EHH cycles. For the 2023-24 EHH grant funding, the program funding amount was determined through proration based on the changes in the State's allocation amount. This allocation plan was approved by the Dane County CoC Board of Directors on May 3, 2023. Following the notice of award, the City will proceed to establish contracts with the nonprofit agencies listed below.
2023-2024 EHH funds ($326,081 ESG + $151,535 HPP + $150,000 HAP = $627,616)
(for use during the period from October, 2023 through September 30, 2024)
• Briarpatch Youth Services - Up to $12,723 (ESG) for street outreach services targeting youth experiencing homelessness; and up to $48,132 (HPP) for homelessness prevention rent assistance projects for youth
• Catalyst for Change - Up to $6,955 (ESG) for street outreach services for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness
• Focus Counseling - Up to $150,000 (HAP) for Rapid Rehousing housing payments and services for individuals
• Legal Action of Wisconsin - Up to $29,898 (ESG) for homelessness prevention legal services
• MACH OneHealth, d.b.a. Madison Street Medicine - Up to $6,361 (ESG) for street outreach and service coordination for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness
• Porchlight, Inc. - Up to $6,361 (ESG) for case management services for guests at the Men's Drop-In Shelter
• The Salvation Army Dane County - Up to $19,084 (ESG) for case management services at the Family Shelter; up to $19,084 (ESG) for case management services at the Single Women’s Shelter; up to $70,595 (ESG) for Rapid Rehousing housing payments and services for households with children; up to $50,891 (ESG) for Rapid Rehousing housing payments and services for households without children; and up to $6,361 (ESG) for medical motel vouchers for persons who, because of medical needs, cannot be accommodated in traditional shelter settings
• Tenant Resource Center - Up to $25,445 (HPP) for housing mediation services; and up to $95,420 ($17,462 ESG and $77,958 HPP) for homelessness prevention rental assistance and housing relocation and stabilization services
• Urban Triage - Up to $44,529 (ESG) for street outreach services for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness
• YWCA Madison - Up to $25,995 (ESG) for Family Shelter
• The City's Community Development Division will administer the above contracts and will retain up to $9,782 of the ESG funds for administration costs associated with contract management.
ACTION
WHEREAS, the Common Council has adopted the 2020-2024 City of Madison Consolidated Plan, which identifies homelessness as a critical issue within the community and outlines a set of strategies and priorities to address those problems using community-based groups; and,
WHEREAS, City Community Development Division staff has worked collaboratively with the Dane County CoC to assess community needs and develop a list of projects for submission to the State for EHH funds on behalf of the CoC; and,
WHEREAS, the Dane County CoC Board of Directors, which is charged with determining the content of the CoC's EHH application, approved the slate of projects listed above at its May 3, 2023 meeting.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to execute agreements with the State and accept the EHH awards described above; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Common Council authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into contracts with the specific nonprofit agencies listed herein to provide the specified services for people experiencing homelessness and those at risk of becoming homeless; and,
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Common Council amends the 2023 Operating Budget of the Community Development Division to reflect the differences between the grant revenue and commensurate expenditures described in this resolution and those originally adopted in the Operating Budget for these funding sources.