The Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) recommends Council approval of an Ordinance authorizing a Second Amendment to a Subrecipient Agreement between the City of Houston (City) and Northwest Assistance Ministries (NAM), extending the term of the Agreement to continue the provision of diversion services to a minimum of 30 additional households who are at-risk for immediate homelessness. No additional funding is being provided.
Diversion services assist clients in crisis to identify immediate alternative housing arrangements to avoid emergency shelter or unsheltered living. Diversion services can include but are not limited to flexible direct financial assistance, family mediation, and counseling services.
The Way Home, a collaborative partnership between the City of Houston, Harris County, and the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston and Harris County (Coalition), developed the Community COVID-19 Housing Program (CCHP) to specifically respond to COVID-19’s impacts on the homeless. For CCHP Phase 2, a joint Request for Expression of Interest from qualified agencies was released in March of 2022 by the Coalition. NAM was one of the qualified agencies selected to receive funding for Diversion services.
The initial Agreement term was from October 15, 2022, through September 30, 2023, and was administratively extended through September 30, 2024. It was later amended to add funding. This Second Amendment will extend the Agreement term through January 31, 2025, with no additional funding.
As of April 1, 2024, NAM achieved 261.48% of its goal and expended approximately 54.07% of funding. NAM began receiving funding through the City of Houston in 2020, and there were no findings on the annual compliance monitoring.
This item was presented to the Housing and Affordability Committee on August 26, 2024.
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Michael Nichols, Director