DEPARTMENT: Neighborhood and Housing Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Ver?nica R. Soto, FAICP, Director
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: All Council Districts
SUBJECT: Briefing on a Professional Services Agreement with The Health Collaborative for the Emergency Housing Assistance Program
SUMMARY:
Consideration of a recommendation awarding up to $400,000 in Federal Emergency Rental Assistance funding.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On April 23, 2020, City Council approved the creation of the COVID-19 Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP). The program has had four distinct phases and the budget has grown from the initial $25.6 million allocation to the current budget of $133.6 million. The program provides eligible applicants rental or mortgage assistance and utility assistance to individuals and families impacted by COVID-19. The program provides financial assistance to families at 80% or below the Area Median Income (AMI) who are dealing with a financial hardship because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Neighborhood and Housing Services Department (NHSD) has provided more than $81.1 million in relief to over 31,310 families as of April 1, 2021. NHSD previously contracted with five local agencies (Domesticas Unidas, SAGE, Catholic Charities, TRLA, and Sacred Heart Church) to conduct outreach and application intake for EHAP under Phase 2 of the program. These contracts were a valuable resource for outreach and enrolling more participants in EHAP.
ISSUE:
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become evident that some of the families who apply to the City for assistance have additional needs not limited to housing assistance.
NHSD received a proposal from The Health Collaborative (THC), a local non-profit that provides health and wellness services to Bexar County residents, to assist NHSD with EHAP. As a subcontractor of NHSD, the agency will collaborate with other agencies to be a central point of outreach, application intake and resource sharing in the comm...
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