Title
Staff Report for a City of San Leandro City Council Resolution to Approve the City of San Leandro Human Services Commission’s Recommendations for the Community Assistance Program (CAP) Grants for 2020-21 and to Approve Additional Appropriations of $28,355 from the General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance to Operating Account 010-61-014-8513 in Fiscal Year 2020-21 to restore the CAP to Full Funding of $150,000.
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the recommendations from the Human Services Commission for 2020-21 Community Assistance Program Grant funding. Staff also recommends that City Council approve additional appropriations of $28,355 from the General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance to operating account 010-61-014-8513 in 2020-21. The funding is for one fiscal year at a total appropriation of $150,000.
BACKGROUND
Through the Community Assistance Program (CAP), the City of San Leandro supports non-profit organizations that provide human services to San Leandro residents. The Human Services Commission (HSC) reviews the written grant proposals, receives an oral presentation from each grant applicant, assesses the City’s need for the program and makes funding recommendations to the City Council. This year the HSC and the Recreation and Human Services (RHS) staff were able to utilize the Human Services Gap Analysis as part of the application review process. In accordance with the City’s gap analysis implementation plan, the priorities are: severe/high-level mental and behavioral health; development of food security programs or services, and domestic and intimate partner violence services.
The HSC and RHS staff developed their funding recommendations in combination with the City’s public service Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocation. The CDBG funding was recommended by Community Development Department staff.
DISCUSSION
RHS issued a Request for Funding Applications (RFA) on March 6, 2019 and received a total of fifteen (15) grant applications. The HSC received oral presentations from each applicant on April 10, 2019. Funding recommendations were made during the commission meeting on April 24, 2019 and subsequently presented to the City Council.
Because funding for CAP is limited, grants were recommended for the most essential services. The funding criteria used for recommendations included:
• Severe/high-level mental and behavioral health;
• Development of food security programs or services, and
• Domestic and intimate partner violence services.
The Commission and staff recommend the following allocations:
AGENCY GENERAL FUND (CAP)
East Bay Agency for Children (EBAC) $20,000
Family Violence Law Center $25,000
Girls, Inc. of Alameda County $27,500
La Clinica de la Raza $32,500
Mercy Retirement and Care Center $20,000
Ruby’s Place $15,000
Safe Alternatives from Violent Environments (SAVE) $10,000
TOTAL $150,000
Options Recovery Services and Peers Envisioning and Engaging in Recovery Services (PEERS) were not recommended for funding. La Familia Counseling Service was disqualified from the process and El Centro Legal de la Raza withdrew their application.
Proposed Scope of Services for the San Leandro Community
1. East Bay Agency for Children (EBAC): Food security and family violence prevention services.
2. Family Violence Law Center: Free legal services for persons fleeing violence (restraining orders, custody/support orders, etc.)
3. Girls, Inc.: Counseling services, case management, family crisis intervention, respite stay services and parenting workshops
4. La Clinica de la Raza: Medical, dental and mental health services at the Fuente Wellness Center at REACH.
5. Mercy Retirement and Care Center: Free groceries for low-income seniors with additional outreach to the Chinese-and Spanish-speaking populations.
6. Ruby’s Place: Shelter and services for domestic/intimate partner violence and their children.
7. Safe Alternatives from Violent Environments (SAVE): Partners with San Leandro Police Department (COPS Program) to prevent and reduce domestic violence and provide services to victims and their children.
Fiscal and Budget Authority
The adopted Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget includes $121,645 in account number 010-61-014-8513 for Community Assistance Program grants. Staff recommends City Council approve an additional appropriation of $28,355 from the General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance to the operating account number 010-61-014-8513 for 2020-21. This additional appropriation is necessary to provide the full funding of $150,000 which was overlooked during the Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget process.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends the approval of the recommendations from the Human Services Commission for the Community Assistance Program grants for 2020-21, and an additional appropriation of $28,355 from the General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance to the operating account number 010-61-014-8513.
PREPARED BY: Jeanette Dong, Director, Recreation and Human Services