TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Ryan J. Alsop, County Executive Officer
REPORT BY: Jennifer Palmer, Director of Housing & Homeless Services
SUBJECT: Amendment 1 to Professional Services Agreement No. 180084B with Fair Housing Napa Valley
RECOMMENDATION
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Approve and authorize Amendment 1 to Agreement No. 180084B with Fair Housing Napa Valley increasing the contract by $120,000 for an annual maximum of $240,000 per fiscal year for the provision of fair housing services to all Napa County residents. (Fiscal Impact $240,000 Expense, Affordable Housing Fund, Budgeted; Mandatory)
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BACKGROUND
Fair Housing Napa Valley (“FHNV”) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit corporation dedicated to promoting and developing fairness and equal housing opportunities for all people. FHNV offers a robust range of housing-related services to all residents of Napa County, including landlords and housing providers. Agency services, all of which are available in Spanish, include intake, counseling, mediation, investigation, referral, and education & outreach.
FHNV carries out its services under two primary programs: fair housing investigation and counseling (funded through HUD’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program funding), and landlord/ tenant counseling, which is funded by local government partners. Both programs include a robust education & outreach component, including workshops and trainings in Spanish. Through these two programs, FHNV serves residents and housing providers in a variety of contexts, including traditional single-family and multi-family housing, mobile home parks, homeless shelters, and subsidized housing. The agency’s services are focused on assisting the most vulnerable members of our community, particularly members of state and federal protected classes. Of the 615 tenant households assisted over the past year (of 720 total cases), 87% of them were at/ below the low-income threshold. Additionally, 36% of all households assisted included a member with a disability; 37% included the presence of a child; and 41% of all cases were opened by a senior household.
FHNV’s programs and services have assisted in successfully operating and completing previous emergency rental assistance programs, notably following the 2014 South Napa Earthquake, wildfires in 2017 and 2019 that impacted Napa, as well ERAP implemented for tenants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021-22. Though the agency does not typically directly provide rental assistance, its community footprint, and knowledge of current local/ regional housing trends and emerging tenant needs, have assisted in raising awareness of these types of programs, as well as identifying potential participants and gaps/ outstanding needs.
Federal funding sources require the provision and promotion of fair housing services, including a system for receiving and referring complaints of housing discrimination to the Federal Department of Employment and Housing. Approval of today’s action will increase the annual contract with Fair Housing Napa Valley by $120,000 to $240,000 for the provision of fair housing services to the community including counselling of landlords, tenant rights and responsibly education, homeownership counselling and public outreach about housing discrimination.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
Yes |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
Yes |
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Where is it budgeted? |
Affordable Housing Fund (Fund 2080) |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Mandatory |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Future fiscal impact: |
Appropriations will be budgeted accordingly in future fiscal years. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
If not approved, the County risks being out of compliance with federal funding requirements and victims of unfair housing practices in the County would be unable to receive fair housing service. |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.