DEPARTMENT: Neighborhood and Housing Services, Department of Human Services, and Metro Health
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Verónica R. Soto, AICP, Melody Woosley and Dawn Emerick
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Housing Security Pillar Strategies
SUMMARY:
Briefing and possible action on the implementation plans for various strategies included in the Housing Security pillar of the COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Plan.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
City Council approved the COVID 19 Recovery and Resiliency Plan for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on June 4, 2020. The plan was developed around the five Guiding Principles of: 1) Public Health and Safety; 2) Equity; 3) Braided Funding; 4) Community Resilience and 5) Well-being.
The work is comprised of four pillars: Workforce Development, Housing Security, Small Business Support, and Digital Inclusion. Each of the four pillars was assigned to a City Council Committee. The Council Committee will review the implementation plans for each strategy in their assigned pillar. The Culture and Neighborhood Services Committee will review the Housing Security Pillar. The approved budget for the Housing Security Pillar is $50.5 Million. The strategies included in this pillar include:
• Fair-housing Counseling Center and Family Resource Center will provide assistance to an estimated 10,000 residents at a budgeted amount of $27.9 million
• Virtual and place-based financial recovery hub to serve approximately 6,500 residents in the amount of $4 million;
• Family Independence Initiative, Up Together investment for 1,000 families in the amount of $4 million;
• Program to connect up to 700 residents to low cost products in the amount of $120,000;
• A door-to-door engagement initiative to help educate marginalized and vulnerable populations about COVID-19 -related resources in the amount of $500,000;
• Digital Referral Platform for Joint Case Management in the amount of $1.5 million;
• Homeless shelter options with services for 500 residents in the amount of $9.2 million; and
• Domestic Violence prevention and intervention strategies in the amount of $3.3 million.
ISSUE:
On June 15, 2020, staff briefed the committee on five strategies that represented $36.5 million of the $50.5 million budget approved for that pillar.
1. Fair-housing Counseling Center and Family Resource Center will provide assistance to an estimated 10,000 residents at a budgeted amount of $27.9 million.
2. Virtual and place-based financial recovery hub to serve approximately 6,500 residents in the amount of $4 million.
3. Family Independence Initiative, Up Together investment for 1,000 families in the amount of $4 million.
4. Program to connect up to 700 residents to low cost products in the amount of $120,000.
5. A door-to-door engagement initiative to help educate marginalized and vulnerable populations about COVID-19 -related resources in the amount of $500,000.
Staff will present the remaining three strategies to the Culture and Neighborhood Services Council Committee on June 25, 2020. These strategies total $14 million and include:
1. Digital Referral Platform for Joint Case Management in the amount of $1.5 million;
2. Homeless shelter options with services for 500 residents in the amount of $9.2 million; and
3. Domestic Violence prevention and intervention strategies in the amount of $3.3 million.
The Department of Human Services will lead the Digital Referral Platform strategy and the Homeless Shelter Options strategy.
A new Digital Referral and Case Management Platform will provide an internal and external referral system platform to streamline case management of families across service sectors and providers. Further, they would build on collaboration and coordination efforts currently supported by the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, nonprofit partners, and community funders. The $1.5 million in CARES Act Funding will allow staff to procure the system and necessary licenses. This effort will result in a Case Management System and Referral Platform that is used by at least 70 contracted agency partners. Once implemented, 95% of families and/or individuals will receive 2 or more referrals for wraparound services. Of those families and/or individuals who have received one or more referrals, 90% of families and/or individuals will be jointly case managed by one or more agencies.
The Homeless Emergency Shelter and Alternative Housing Options strategy includes multiple components designed to permanently house homeless individuals; increase available emergency shelter bed space, and reduce chronic and unsheltered homelessness including diversion from homelessness, hotel bridge housing, rapid rehousing, and expanded outreach avenues and funding to quickly rehouse residents who are experiencing homelessness. The budget for this strategy is $9.2 million and will secure 300 hotel rooms and provide services, rapidly rehouse 500 homeless individuals and families to permanent housing, outreach, and continue the operation of the homeless hotline.
The Metro Health Department will lead the expansion of the Domestic Violence Programs strategy. The domestic violence strategy combines direct services through initiatives including the Domestic Violence High-Risk team and cognitive behavioral therapy for children exposed to violence, with community-wide prevention and education campaigns. The budget for the strategy is $3.3 million and is funded through the Corona Virus Relief Fund. Thus funding will add more resources to the Domestic Violence High Risk Team, expand the Triple P Positive Parenting Program, and enhance the coordination among our partners and community members. This effort will result in 2 million media impressions, help enroll 400 families in the online parenting program, train 200 professionals through online opportunities, provide 1,000 therapy sessions to students experiencing violence in the home, and facilitate case management services to 400 high-risk families.
The Neighborhood and Housing Services Department will also provide the Committee a briefing on the follow up items requested at the June 15th meeting and an update on the Emergency Housing Assistance Program, Right to Counsel Program and Renters Commission.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total budget for the housing security pillar is $50.5 million. These strategies represent $14 million of the overall budget. Funding for these strategies is available from the Corona Virus Relief Fund and previously awarded ESG and CDBG funding.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the implementation plans for these strategies.