ALAMEDA COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

ALAMEDA COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

                                                                    Agenda Item ___________ May 4, 2021
         Chris Bazar
     Agency Director

                       April 20, 2021
224 West Winton Ave
          Room 110
                       Honorable Board of Supervisors
 Hayward, California
                       Administration Building
       94544‐1215      1221 Oak Street, Suite 536
                       Oakland, CA 94612
             phone
       510.670.5333
                 fax
                       Dear Board Members:
       510.670.6374
                       SUBJECT:         APPROVE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF OAKLAND
 www.acgov.org/cda                      FOR FY2020 HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS
                                        WITH AIDS (HOPWA) PROGRAM AND APPROVE
                                        AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF OAKLAND FOR FY2020
                                        EMERGENCY (COVID-19) HOPWA CORONAVIRUS AID,
                                        RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY (CARES ACT) FUNDS

                       RECOMMENDATIONS:

                       A.      Approve an Agreement with the City of Oakland for the Alameda County
                               Community Development Agency’s (CDA) Housing and Community
                               Development Department (HCD) to administer Federal Fiscal Year 2020
                               Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) funds for the term
                               of 7/1/2020-6/30/2022 and funds totaling $2,056,017; and

                       B.      Approve an Agreement with the City of Oakland for the Alameda County
                               Community Development Agency’s (CDA) Housing and Community
                               Development Department (HCD) to administer the Emergency HOPWA
                               Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funds for
                               the term of 7/1/2020-8/15/2022 and funds totaling $302,848; and

                       DISCUSSION/SUMMARY:

                       HOPWA is a Federally funded program designed to increase affordable housing
                       opportunities for people living with HIV/AIDS. Funds from the U.S. Department of
                       Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are allocated to Eligible Metropolitan Areas
                       (EMAs) based on current number of persons living with HIV/AIDS. The City of
                       Oakland is the entitlement grantee for the Oakland EMA, which includes the Counties
                       of Alameda and Contra Costa. The City of Oakland contracts with HCD to administer
                       the HOPWA Program in Alameda County. HCD has administered this program since
                       1993. For the FY2020 HOPWA Program, Alameda County’s portion of the HOPWA
                       grant totals $2,056,017 and has a term of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2022.

                       HOPWA funds may be spent over a period of several years. HCD administers funds from
                       several HOPWA grants at the same time. To maximize the use of funds, and to utilize older

Board of Supervisors
April 20, 2021
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funds as needed, flexibility in encumbrances and allocation of funds under this Agreement is needed.
HOPWA funds are available in the following priority areas: operations, rental assistance, supportive
services and information and housing referral.

HCD will separately bring contracts with local organizations to increase affordable housing
opportunities and provide related services for people living with HIV and AIDS. Projects and
programs initially funded with HOPWA funds are selected through competitive Request for
Proposal (RFP) processes administered by HCD for the provision of housing-related services and
the development of housing for people with HIV/AIDS. HCD has issued an RFP with proposals
due on April 5, 2021. Approval of recommendations for funding is made by the City of
Oakland. Once the City has approved the awards, and the Federal environmental reviews are
completed, contracts will be brought to your Board for approval and execution.

HOPWA funds have contributed to the development of more than 260 units of housing for low-
income people living with HIV/AIDS and have provided supportive services and operating
expenses for programs serving hundreds of people living with HIV/AIDS each year.

In April 2020, HUD issued an emergency grant to the City of Oakland, pursuant to the CARES
Act, HCD will provide these additional funds to Developers and Subrecipients based on a
priority-setting selection process set forth by the Oakland City Administrator to help prevent,
prepare for and respond to the additional needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS as a result of
the coronavirus pandemic.

Alameda County’s portion of the HOPWA CARES Act grant totals $302,848 and has a term of
July 1, 2020 through August 15, 2022.

In consultation with the City and other stakeholders in the community, the HCD will recommend
priorities for the HOPWA CARES Act funds, categories for funding, and a method and schedule
for awarding funds within the County. Approval of recommendations for funding is made by the
City of Oakland. Once the City has approved the awards, and the Federal environmental reviews
are completed, contracts will be brought to your Board for approval and execution. HCD will
monitor and report to the City of Oakland on the results.

Both of these contracts required several months of negotiation with the City of Oakland to be
able to agree to the terms in the agreement, which has caused a delay in starting programs with
these funds.

FINANCING:

Funding under the annual HOPWA contract is included in CDA’s FY2020/2021 Budget
($145,671) $1,910,346 will be included in the FY 2021/2022 budget. The annual HOPWA
contract is funded from a multi-year Federal grant. The CARES Act funding is a single-year
grant and will be included in CDA’s FY2021/2022 Budget ($302,848). Contract appropriations
and associated encumbrances are budgeted in respective fiscal years with offsetting revenues that
will be drawn on a reimbursement basis. Unspent HOPWA funds roll over to future years until
expended. This may require an adjustment to the use of remaining rollover contract funds for

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April 20, 2021
Page 3

Contract appropriations and associated encumbrances are budgeted in respective fiscal years
with offsetting revenues that will be drawn on a reimbursement basis. Unspent HOPWA funds
roll over to future years until expended. This may require an adjustment to the use of remaining
rollover contract funds for projects that were originally allocated and encumbered under contract
for various fiscal years. CARES Act funds must be expended by August 15, 2022. Funds for
administration are included in these contracts. No additional appropriations are required and
there is no Net County Cost as a result of these actions.

VISION 2026:
The approval of these procurement contracts meets the 10X goal of Eliminate Homelessness in
support of our shared visions of Safe and Livable Communities and Thriving and Resilient
Populations.

                                             Very truly yours,

                                             Chris Bazar, Director
                                             Community Development Agency

cc:    Susan Muranishi, County Administrator
       Melissa Wilk, Auditor Controller
       Donna R. Ziegler, County Counsel
       Meryl Klein, County Administrator’s Office
       Heather M. Littlejohn, Office of the County Counsel
       Sandra Rivera, Community Development Agency