Subject:
Title
Funding Agreements with Pinellas County Homeless Leadership Board, Inc. for a diversion program and bridge housing.
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval of the Funding Agreements with the Pinellas County Homeless Leadership Board, Inc. for a diversion program and bridge housing.
• These Agreements provide funding for a diversion program for homeless individuals and families and bridge housing for families. The diversion program provides two Master’s-level Diversion Case Managers and flexible funding for related client assistance. The bridge housing funding provides flexible bridge housing, emergency shelter beds, and one full-time equivalent case manager or case management resources to work with households to ensure connection to resources.
• Funding in an amount not to exceed $434,000.00 has been included in the Human Services’ General Fund appropriation request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. The funding is distributed as follows:
(A.) Diversion Program: $134,000.00
(B.) Bridge Housing: $300,000.00
• The total Board decision package for homeless service expansion in FY19 was $500,000.00. In addition to the two programs above totaling $434,000.00, a separate amendment was executed for $66,000.00 with Boley Centers to implement the expanded permanent supportive housing resources.
Body
Strategic Plan:
Ensure Public Health, Safety, and Welfare
2.1 Provide planning, coordination, prevention, and protective services to ensure a safe and secure community
2.2 Be a facilitator, convener, and purchaser of services for those in need
2.4 Support programs that seek to prevent and remedy the causes of homelessness and move individuals and families from homelessness to permanent housing
Deliver First Class Services to the Public and Our Customers
5.1 Maximize partner relationships and public outreach
5.2 Be responsible stewards of the public’s resources
5.3 Ensure effective and efficient delivery of county services and support
Summary:
These Agreements provide funding for a diversion program for homeless individuals and families and bridge housing for families. The diversion program provides two Master’s-level Diversion Case Managers and flexible funding for related client assistance. The bridge housing funding provides flexible bridge housing, emergency shelter beds, and one (1) full-time equivalent (FTE) case manager or case management resources to work with households to ensure connection to resources.
Background Information:
As a core part of the Homeless Continuum of Care (CoC), Pinellas County has funded diversion and bridge housing to help divert individuals and families that can be stabilized and to provide critical housing while awaiting permanent housing placement. As the lead agency, the Homeless Leadership Board (HLB) has facilitated implementation of the services.
The diversion program works to reduce the demand for shelter beds and homeless services by providing case management and direct services to divert households to stable housing placements prior to entering the homeless system. Strategies include: problem solving, crisis intervention, family mediation, linkage to services and flexible funding. The HLB directly delivers diversion services under this agreement.
The bridge housing agreement provides funding for the availability of new or currently unfunded shelter space or emergency housing units to provide temporary housing for households in crisis who are awaiting diversion to stable housing or permanent housing placement through the Coordinated Entry System. The HLB competitively selected St. Vincent DePaul to implement this ongoing program.
During the first two quarters in FY19, the diversion program served 146 households of which 55 were diverted, and the bridge housing program served 19 families.
Fiscal Impact:
Funding in an amount not to exceed $434,000.00 has been included in the FY20 Proposed Budget as allocated through the recurring FY19 Bridge Housing and Homeless Services - Prevention/Diversion, Emergency Shelter for Families and Supportive Housing Services Decision Packages. The funds are distributed as follows:
Diversion Program: $134,000.00
Bridge Housing: $300,000.00
Staff Member Responsible:
Daisy Rodriguez, Director, Human Services
Partners:
Pinellas County Homeless Leadership Board, Inc.
Attachments:
Diversion Program Agreement
Bridge Housing Agreement
Attachment 1- Data Sharing Agreement
Attachment 2 - Budget Modification
Attachment 3- Insurance Requirements