HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-01-28 City Council (8)TO:
City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
3
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT
DATE:
SUBJECT:
JANUARY 28, 2002 CMR:132:02
ALLOCATION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK
GRANT FUNDS ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS TO ASSIST IN THE
COMPLETION OF CLARA MATEO ALLIANCE’S ELSA
SEGOVIA HOMELESS CENTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
Approve an expenditure of $65,000 from the 2001/02 Housing Development Fund
allocation of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for
construction expenses relating to Clara Mateo Alliance’s Elsa Segovia Center for
homeless women and children, and
Authorize the Mayor to sign an agreement for $65,000 with Clara Mateo Alliance
for construction expenses in conjunction with the Elsa Segovia Center on behalf of
the City.
BACKGROUND:
More than two years ago, a coalition of area homeless service providers, City Human
Services staff and others identified a critical unmet need for a day center with coordinated
supportive services specifically for low-income or homeless women and children. Clara-
Mateo Alliance (CMA), a -non-profit organization providing existing services for’
homeless persons on the grounds of the Veterans Administration Hospital in Menlo Park,
was instrumental in developing the day center concept and raising the majority of the
funding necessary to implement the project. The project is now referred to as the Elsa
Segovia Center (ESC) and is scheduled to open in early 2002. ESC will offer critical
services that would best be described as emergency services for women, children and
families. ~
CMR:132:02 Page 1 of 4 ,
Originally, the capital construction budget for the project was $430,000, with funding
committed from the County of San Marco ($350,000) and a State grant ($80,000). Since
that time, however, the scope of the project has expanded to include health and medical
services, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, childcare, and six units of transitional housing.
The expansion in the scope of services increased the cost of capital construction to
$580,000, leaving a $150,000 shortfall. The Santa Clara County Housing Bond Trust has
committed $70,000, and CMA has requested $15,000 from the Housing Trust. The
$65,000 from the City’s CDBG fund would allow CMA to complete the capital
improvements necessary to open the program in early 2002, as scheduled, and
demonstrate the City’s support for the project itself.
DISCUSSION
This project is being considered out of the regular CDBG funding cycle due to the
emergency funding situation and the compelling nature of the need being addressed. The
project addresses the Consolidated Plan’s Affordable Housing Goal by increasing the
number of transitional housing units with supportive services.
On May 7, 2001 the Palo Alto City Council approved an allocation of $221,806 in fiscal
year 2001/02 CDBG funds to the City’s Housing Development Fund. The purpose of the
CDBG Housing DeveloPment Fund is to provide a pool of funds, along with City funds
in the Commercial and Residential Housing In-Lieu funds, available on an on-going
basis, to facilitate the development, rehabilitation or preservation of low-income housing.
It was anticipated that the $221,806 would be used for site acquisition for a new
affordable housing project. Although specific sites have been investigated, a site has not
yet been approved by the City Council.
The current unencumbered balance in the CDBG Housing Development Fund is
approximately $185,000. It is not anticipated that these funds will be used immediately,
and a replacement allocation of CDBG funds to the Housing Development Fund during
the 2002/03 funding cycle would enable a housing site acquisition project to proceed.
The nine-memberCDBG Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) considered the request
from Clara Mateo Alliance at its regularly scheduled meeting on January 17, 2001. The
CAC concurred with the staff recommendation and voted unanimously to support the
allocation of $65,000 to the Elsa Segovia Center so that it could be completed and
functional during the 2002 winter season.
The County of San Mateo has committed $350,000 in CDBG funds to the project and
will serve as the lead agency in terms of the completion of Federal Environmental and
regulatory reviews.
CMR: 132:02 Page 2 of 4
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
The City Council could deny the request for emergency funding and retain the allocation
in the Housing Development Fund for other housing-related activities. Another
alternative would be to approve the request, but to identify and fund the expenditure from
a separate General Fund spurce.
RESOURCE IMPACT-
CDBG funds are budgeted in the City’s Special Revenue Funds. The money is available
through the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) Letter of
Credit, and are reimbursed to the City once they are expended.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
This recommendation is consistent
Comprehensive Plan po.licies.
with existing City policies, including various
The City’s 2000-2005 adopted Consolidated Plan describes a critical need for a
specialized indoor facility for the provision of homeless supportive services, and includes
a five-year goal of supporting the operating and or rehabilitation costs of shelters and
transitional housing programs that serve the Palo Alto area.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The rehabilitation is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA). The required National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review will be ,
completed prior to the expenditure of funds.
ATTACHMENT
Attachment A: December 6, 2001 Letter from Clara Mateo Alliance
PREPARED BY:/~ C~ator,’ ~uzan~ Bayley,
’
DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIE .
LES WHITE
Interim Director of
Environment
Planning and Community
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
EMILY I-IA~RIS ON
Assistant City Manager
CMR:132:02 Page 3 of 4
Angel Batt, Executive Director, Clara-Mateo Alliance
CDBG Citizen’s Advisory Committee
CMR: 132:02 Page 4 of 4
Ending Hornelessness - Another Way
December 6, 2001
/gb Willow ~:~d
Buildin~ 323oD
Menlo Park, (.;A 94025
GAl.li.i} acetic
John Demp.S~,
Airne~e F~oba~,
2ml Vk:~’ ~dent
SUSaI~ ~ ill,raid
Murk Heyer
Clarence
Jeff L enpOId
Charl~ Matin,
~id~nt
V~c Spiels,
Chrlntina WitO
~.ulive Dir~r
Suzanne Bayley, CDBG Coordinator
City of Paid Alto
Department of Planning and Community Development
250 Hamilton Avenue
Pab Alto, CA 94301
Dear Suzanne:
Clara-MateD Alliance, Inc. (CMA) is requesting funding, not to exceed $65,000, from the
City of Paid Alto, Community Development Block Grant program, for interior rehabilitation
of space that is to become the Elsa Segovla Center, Serving Women, Children and
Families in the Midpeninsula.
Program;
This new program, the Elsa Segovia (;enter, Serving Women, Childrer~ and Families in the
Midpeninsula (ESC), will provide a myriad of services designed to meet the unique needs
of women, children and families. Simultaneous to the opening of the Elsa Segovla Center,
CMA will also open six new units of transitional housing for single mothers from Northern
Santa Clara County with a specific focus on homeless residents of Mountain View and
Paid Alto, These units are adjacent to the ESC and core services, except for the
residenl[ial component, will be provided at the ESC.
At the ESC, CMA will provide general management serviGeS, while most direct care
services will be provided by a variety of active local organizations, in partnership with
CMA, including the Red Cross of Paid Alto, Second Harvest Food Bank, Santa Clara
County Public Health, Santa Clara County Valley Health and Hospital System, May View
Community Health Center, Family Connections, Family Resources of PaiD Alto, Interfaith
Hospitality Network, County of San Mated Health Service Agency, Springboard
(employment services), Family Support Center of the Mldpeninsula, El Centro de Liberdad,
Sequoia Adult Education, Service League and others.
The services to be provided will address the following areas:
1.Early Childhood Development
2.Child Abuse Prevention
3.Health & Human Services
4.Homelessness
The Center will offer ~tical serv{ces that would best be desr.,ribed as emergency services for women,
children and families, These services will include, but are not limited to, basic survival needs such as
shelter, nutritionally balanced meals, showers, bathrooms; laundry fadlities, hygiene supplies, and clothing.
Additional services include: intensive case management, information and referral, health cam services,
respite care for mothers, a parent participation pre-school, motel vouchers, bus passes and transportation
vouchers, counseling, budget management, mentodng, respite care, job placement and career
advancement services, chlldcare training, psychiatric consultation, 12 step support groups and physical
fitness and wellness a~vities.
The goals of the program are:
1.To Enhance the Safety Net for Food and Shelter for Women, Children and Families in the Mid
Peninsula.
2.To Help Local Families Escape Poverty.
3,To Umit the Effects of Poverty on Children
4."1"o Promote The Health Of Children And Their Families.
HOW DOES PROGRAM FIT WITHIN ORGANIZATION’S OVERALL GOALS:
This project ills within the overall mission of the organization and it’s s~’ategic vision "to be a leader In hi-
regional service delivery to those in need by providing a con~nuum of services including day services,
emergency shelter, transitional housing and permanent supportive housing’. After a yea~ long strategic
planning process, CMA identified it’s three-year goals (2001.2003) as follows:
I. To deliver an expanded spectrum of high quality services.
2. To.respond to the changing community needs of the homeless and at-risk population and ensure
services reflect these needs.
3. To ensure long-term sustainability through diversified funding.
4. To increase public awareness and financial support.
5. To recruit, train and maintain an active and informed Board of Directors.
Specific priorities to m~t these ~ioals were identified and include "partnering with faith-based
organizations", and "to implement a volunteer program". The Else Segovia Center is the vehicle being
used to address both of these priorities.
Additionally, plans for the future were established. One plan is "to open and operate a day center for
women and children in the Mid Peninsula who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless. The Day
Center will utilize the support of many community volunteers and actively involve the faith community".
Another plan is "to continue to put~ue opportunities to expand services to the homeless and In-need
population that will increase the chances of clients finding and maintaining stable, permanent housing"
(CMA Strategic Plan, 2001-2003}. Thus, the Elsa Segovia Center, in concept, theory and spirit, represents
the mission, and ills within the overall goals, of CMA,
REHABILITATION BUDGET
INCOME
~unty of San Mat~) D~, pt, of Ho’usin~] - oo.m. mitred..
;itY of Palo AI~- THIS APPLICATION
State of California ,. commltted "
San~ Clara County Hou. ,sing.&.Homeless Trust Fund-
Sa.nt~a Ctara County Hou.s~ Bond Tn~..s.t.- committed
Total
EXPENSES, ......
Interior Rehabilitation
Exterior Rehabilitation
One-time furniture & Equipment.
Total
Surplus (Deficit) .........
~,mount
350OOO
65000
BOO00
15OO0
70,000
580000
Use o[funds
In!erior Rehab
Intedor Rehab
Cap~i~tal
.... Capitol
420000
70OOO
9oooo
580000
In summary, the funding being requested will enable CMA to complete the capflal improvements necessary
to open this program eady 2002. Additionally, funding from the City of Palo Alto Is critical to this program
and shows the City’s support of this bi-regional service center and demonstrates a good faith match to the
County of San Mateo’s significant contribution toward this ~ause,
Please feel free to call me if you have any questions or need additional information,
Executive Director