Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution authorizes the reallocation of $12,600 in federal and state grant money allocated to the City and passed through to subrecipient agencies that provide homeless services and housing resources. The funding would be transferred from the contract with Legal Action of Wisconsin to Briarpatch Youth Services based on the recommendation of the Dane County Continuum of Care Board of Directors. No additional appropriation required.
Title
Authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to amend the 2024-25 EHH contract with Briarpatch Youth Services to add $12,600 of State EHH funds reallocated from an EHH contract with Legal Action of Wisconsin. (Citywide)
Body
BACKGROUND
The City of Madison works closely with Madison/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 CoC group. This collaborative work includes the City's administration of contracts funded with State of Wisconsin-funded EHH grant funds on behalf of the Dane CoC.
EHH funds combine dollars made available through the HUD Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), the State of Wisconsin's Homeless Prevention Program (HPP) and Housing Assistance Program (HAP) grants. 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.
For the 2024-2025 grant cycle, the State allocated $664,228 in EHH funds to the Dane CoC. On October 29, 2024, the Common Council authorized the City, on behalf of the Dane CoC, to accept the 2024-25 State EHH grant and enter into contracts with the subrecipient agencies approved by the Dane CoC Board of Directors (RES-24-00658, Legistar File ID #85502).
Legal Action of Wisconsin was awarded $29,063 in EHH funds as part of the current funding cycle and is contracted to provide legal assistance for homelessness prevention. However, the agency has informed the City that it will not be able to spend all of those funds this year. Of the $29,063 in ESG funds awarded, Legal Action of Wisconsin anticipates it will not spend $12,600 this year, because it has access to other federal COVID relief funds that will expire this year if not used.
City staff reached out to agencies currently providing prevention assistance with State EHH funds and determined Briarpatch Youth Services’ Young Adult Rent Assistance program was best able to utilize Legal Action of Wisconsin’s unspent funds. Briarpatch has nearly expended its existing allocation of EHH funds and has received referrals from Tenant Resource Center’s Prevention Coordinated Entry for which additional funds could be used. City staff advised the CoC Board of Directors on August 21, 2025 about the situation and recommended reallocating Legal Action of Wisconsin’s unused funds to Briarpatch. As the current contract term ends on September 30, 2025, prompt reallocation is required.
ACTION
WHEREAS, the Common Council adopted the 2025–2029 Consolidated Plan, which identifies homelessness as a critical community issue and outlines strategies for addressing it in partnership with community organizations; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Madison has long been committed to local efforts to prevent and end homelessness and is an active member of the Madison/Dane County Continuum of Care (CoC) and serves as the Recipient of the State EHH grant; and,
WHEREAS, the Common Council authorized accepting $664,228 of State EHH grant funds and entering into contracts with the subrecipient agencies approved by the CoC Board of Directors on October 29, 2024 (RES-24-00658, File ID#85502); and,
WHEREAS, one of the subrecipient agencies, Legal Action of Wisconsin, has alerted CDD staff that $12,600 of homelessness prevention funds awarded to it will not be able to be used in the 2024-25 contract year and are available to be reallocated to avoid returning the funds to the State; and,
WHEREAS, City staff, after consultation with currently funded prevention agencies and the Dane CoC Board of Directors, identified Briarpatch Youth Services as the agency best positioned to use Legal Action of Wisconsin’s unspent funds effectively within the current grant period.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council hereby authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to amend the 2024-25 EHH contract with Briarpatch Youth Services, by increasing the amount available for its current contract that supports the Young Adult Rent Assistance program by $12,600.