Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to execute amendments to Youth Homeless Demonstration Program (YHDP)-funded contracts with Urban Triage, Inc. and LGBT Outreach, Inc. on behalf of Madison/Dane County Continuum of Care (CoC).
Since 2023-2024 contract execution, one contracting agency ended its contract due to capacity issues. Additionally, the CoC Youth Action Board and community partners proposed changes to the Transitional Housing program model. Due to these two changes, approximately $830,000 of YHDP funds remain uncommitted.
The Youth Action Board and the Housing Services Consortium Board of Directors approved a plan to reallocate underspent funds:
+ Amend Urban Triage, Inc. 2024 contract from $517,356 to $562,356 for Transitional Housing/Rapid Re-housing service
+ Amend LGBT Outreach, Inc. 2024 contract from $144,880 to $314,880 for System Navigation services and creation of a Youth Drop-In Center
+ Issue a Request for Proposals in 2024 to allocate the remaining $625,000 in Transitional Housing/Rapid Re-housing funds
Further, the proposed resolution authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to execute an amendment to the grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to extend the performance period for the grant from November 30, 2024 to February 28, 2025. No additional City appropriation required.
Title
Authorizing amendments to Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) funded contracts with Urban Triage, Inc. and LGBT Outreach, Inc. on behalf of the Madison/Dane County Continuum of Care (CoC), authorizing an amendment with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to extend the YHDP grant’s performance period, and authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute new Purchase of Service agreements for services performed between January 1, 2024 and February 28, 2025.
Body
BACKGROUND
The Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program is an initiative developed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to reduce the number of youth experiencing homelessness -- both unaccompanied minors and youth ages 18-24 -- in communities across the nation. On May 24, 2021, HUD released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO #FR-6400-N-35), announcing its FY20 YHDP grant award competition. The Madison/Dane County Continuum of Care (CoC) applied for the grant, with the City of Madison serving as the Collaborative Applicant and Briarpatch Youth Services, Inc. as the Lead Agency, and was awarded $2,293,291.
The CoC's Youth Action Board (YAB) later requested, and the CoC approved at its June 21, 2022 board meeting, a change in YHDP Lead Agency designation from Briarpatch to the City of Madison for the purposes of managing the FY20 YHDP grant funds. This requested change was subsequently approved by the Common Council on August 2, 2022 (RES-22-00565, Legistar #72663).
The YAB designed two primary project components to utilize the awarded YHDP grant funds (Joint Transitional Housing/Rapid Re-Housing and System Navigation), and solicited Letters of Intent from interested service providers via a YHDP Partner Procurement Process. The YAB submitted its funding recommendations to the Homeless Services Consortium (HSC) Board of Directors, which approved them at its meeting on November 18, 2022. Approval of the HSC Board recommendations for execution of contracts for 2023-2024 was subsequently approved by the Common Council on December 6, 2022 (RES-22-00808, Legistar #74734).
After contract execution the YAB and community partners proposed changes to the program model for Transitional Housing. Those changes required a grant amendment with HUD prior to enrolling clients. Additionally, one of the providers operating the housing program ended its contract due to capacity issues. Consequently, nearly $830,000 of YHDP funds were not spent in the grant’s first year (2023), nearly $170,000 to be used in the System Navigation Program (SSO) Grant, and nearly $670,00 from the Transitional Housing-Rapid Rehousing Grant. The YAB and HSC Board of Directors, on January 3, 2024, approved a plan to reallocate underspent funds to LGBT Outreach and Urban Triage.
This Resolution authorizes the City of Madison, as YHDP Lead Agency, to amend the 2024 budget for these two YHDP grants, to reflect those reallocations. The contract with LGBT Outreach Inc. for 2024 will increase its grant from $144,880 to $314,880 and amend the scope of services to transfer responsibility of creating a YHDP funded Youth Drop-In Center to Outreach. The contract with Urban Triage Inc. for 2024 Transitional Housing/Rapid ReHousing services will increase from $517,356 to $562,356 to support start up costs for the program. The YAB and HSC Board will issue a Request for Proposals in 2024 to solicit community partners to allocate the remaining Transitional Housing/Rapid Re-Housing funds. The outcome of that RFP process must be approved by HSC Board of Directors and then receive authorization from the Madison Common Council prior to executing contracts.
In addition, the original performance period for the FY20 Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) grant funds began on December 1, 2022 and was to end November 30, 2024. However, HUD has granted an extension of the performance period for FY20 YHDP grant funds to February 28, 2025 and that change will be made as well.
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, the City of Madison has long been integrally involved in local efforts to end and prevent homelessness, and is a member and active participant in the Madison/Dane County Continuum of Care (CoC); and,
WHEREAS, the Madison/Dane County CoC applied for and was awarded $2,293,291 in FY20 Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) grant funds via a 2021 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), for the performance period beginning December 1, 2022 and ending November 30, 2024; and,
WHEREAS, on August 2, 2022 (RES-22-00565, Legistar #72663), the Madison Common Council authorized the City of Madison to assume responsibilities as YHDP Lead Agency for the distribution and oversight of YHDP grant funds; and,
WHEREAS, on December 6, 2022 (RES-22-00808, Legistar #74734), the Council authorized 2023-2024 contracts to LGBT Outreach Inc., Urban Triage Inc., The Road Home, Center for Community Stewardship and Institute for Community Alliances, the agencies selected by the Youth Action Board and Madison/Dane County CoC’s Board of Directors; and,
WHEREAS, due to delays in project start up and the withdrawal by The Road Home from the collaboration, programming funds were underspent and the YAB and CoC’s Board of Directors decided to reallocate $170,000 of grant funds to LGBT Outreach Inc. and modify the scope of services in that contract to add responsibility for developing a YHDP-funded Youth Drop-in Center; and,
WHEREAS, the YAB and CoC’s Board of Directors also agreed to $45,000 of YHDP grant funds to Urban Triage Inc. and change its scope of service by shifting its Transitional Housing activities from a single-site based model to a scattered-site model; and,
WHEREAS, the YAB and CoC’s Board of Directors plan to release a Request for Proposals in 2024 to allocate the remaining unspent YHDP Transitional/Rapid Re-Housing funds; and,
WHEREAS, due to delays in project start up and underspent programming, the City of Madison requested and received approval from HUD for an extension of the performance period, to February 28, 2025, within which to distribute YHDP funds .
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to execute a Purchase of Service contract in the amount of $314,880 with LGBT Outreach Inc. for the period from January 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to execute a Purchase of Service contract in the amount of $562,356 with Urban Triage, Inc. for the period from January 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025; and,
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Council authorizes the Mayor to execute an amendment to the grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to extend the FY20 Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) performance period to February 28, 2025.