The Housing and Community Development (HCD) department recommends Council approval of an Ordinance authorizing an Agreement between the City of Houston (City) and the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County (Coalition), providing up to $1,986,822.00 of Community Development Block Grant - CARES Act (CDBG-CV) funds for the administration and operation of the Housing Navigation Center located at 2903 Jensen Drive, Houston, Texas 77026.
Due to pervasive, underlying health conditions and a lack of access to adequate facilities, people experiencing homelessness are especially susceptible to COVID-19 and are at higher risk of experiencing severe symptoms. Per guidance from the Center of Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), it is imperative during the current pandemic to move individuals experiencing homelessness off streets. In response, the City partnered with Harris County and the Coalition to launch the Community COVID-19 Housing Program (CCHP). To enhance these life-saving, housing efforts, a Housing Navigation Center is needed.
The Coalition, through a selected subrecipient daily operations provider, will manage the operations, administration and reporting for the Navigation Center. The facility will provide bridge beds for a minimum of 350 clients annually to stay during the housing process, with the goal of “bridging” the time from housing assessment to placement into permanent housing through CCHP. The Navigation Center will be a coed, secular, low-barrier, and ADA accessible facility, providing temporary, semi-private accommodations for up to 100 individuals who are actively working with case managers on placement. The following services will be provided: transportation to-and-from, three meals a day, one-on-one intensive case management, job training classes, laundry, healthcare, and more. Operations will include 24/7 security and onsite, professional management. Potential clients must be referred and transported by homeless agencies and/or first responders. The Navigation Center will feature a health clinic operated by Harris Health, and two community classrooms, which will serve the greater community, with a private entrance for the public.
|
Category
|
Amount
|
Percent
|
|
Program
|
$1,787,404.00
|
90%
|
|
Administrative
|
$199,418.00
|
10%
|
|
Total
|
$1,986,822.00
|
100%
|
The Agreement term will begin on the countersignature date and run through August 31, 2023, with the option to renew. There were no findings during the last annual compliance monitoring. On January 26, 2022 by Ordinance 2022-069, City Council approved a lease agreement with Coalition for the Homeless, as tenant, for space located at 2903 Jensen Drive to be used as the Housing Navigation Center. This item is a request for approval for the operating funds. The Coalition has received funding from the City since 2012.
No Fiscal Note is required on grant items.
This item was reviewed by the Housing and Community Affairs Committee on July 19, 2022.
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Keith W. Bynam, Director