TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Minh C. Tran, County Executive Officer
REPORT BY: Jennifer Palmer, Director of Housing & Homeless Services
SUBJECT: Agreement with Applied Survey Research for the 2022 Point-in-Time Count
RECOMMENDATION
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Director of Housing & Homeless Services requests approval of and authorization for the Chair to sign an Agreement with Applied Survey Research for the term November 9, 2021 through June 30, 2022 for the planning and execution of the 2022 Point in Time (PIT) count.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Point-in-Time (PIT) count is U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) mandate for all Continuum of Care (CoC) jurisdictions receiving federal funding in order to provide housing and sheltering services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The PIT count is an enumeration of individuals and families experiencing unsheltered and sheltered homelessness on a single night in the month of January. As the Napa City and County CoC designated Administrative Entity, Napa County Housing & Homeless Services coordinates the planning and execution of the annual PIT count with Applied Survey Research (ASR). ASR was selected via a competitive bidding process.
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? |
Housing & Homeless Services Division |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
The County is not required to contract with ASR to conduct the PIT count. |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Future fiscal impact: |
None |
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Consequences if not approved: |
If this item is not approved Napa County will not be able to plan or execute the 2022 Point-in-Time Count, and risks losing access to HUD funding. |
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County Strategic Plan pillar addressed: |
Healthy, Safe, and Welcoming Place to Live, Work, and Visit |
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.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The Division of Housing & Homeless Services (DHHS) is the designated Administrative Entity for the Napa County Continuum of Care (CoC). As Administrative Entity, DHHS is responsible for contractual and fiscal matters related to CoC funding and reporting and has the responsibility to prepare and submit the annual CoC Application.
The Point-in-Time Count is a one-day unduplicated count of individuals and families experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homeless across the United States. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that each CoC conduct a count every year on a single night in January in order to be eligible for Federal and State funding. In FY20-21 the Napa City and County CoC received approximately $2.1 million dollars in federal and state funding. CoC’s report the results of their PIT counts to HUD by June following the January count. This information helps the federal government better understand the nature and extent of homelessness nationwide. PIT count and survey data also help inform communities’ local strategic planning, capacity building, and advocacy campaigns to prevent and end homelessness.
In 2019 DHHS released an RFP soliciting proposals from respondents with demonstrated experience and success in conducting PIT counts. A brief description of Key project objectives for a comprehensive PIT count include development of the following:
1. Statistical models and methodologies to calculate the numerical estimates and demographic characteristics of individuals experiencing homelessness in Napa County;
2. Review of existing Unsheltered Demographic Survey tools and recommendations for changes/updates;
3. Data analysis, including unsheltered population and subpopulation estimates based upon Count and survey results;
4. Comprehensive communication strategy to effectively communicate and summarize key Count findings to diverse stakeholder audiences across multiple media ; and
5. A methodology report (i.e. white paper) summarizing methodologies as they pertain to the determination of findings.
6. Develop large canvassing area maps for planning purposes and small subsequent block group maps for volunteers
Applied Survey Research (ASR) was selected as the contractor. ASR is a social research firm with extensive experience in homeless enumeration and needs assessments. 2020 was the first time ASR partnered with the Napa City and County CoC, bringing new methodology to the effort to enumerate persons and families experiencing homelessness. Changes included a focus on comprehensive coverage of the County, partnering with local partners and working with individuals experiencing homelessness in order to best identify those who are living without housing. Due to the state of the pandemic and CDC guidance, a comprehensive PIT count was not conducted in January 2021.
The item today requests approval of authorization for the Chair to sign a new agreement with ASR for the term November 9, 2021 through June 30, 2022 for a maximum amount of $49,540 for the planning and execution of the 2022 Point in Time (PIT) Count.