REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: JENNIFER CLARK, Director Planning and Development Department PHIL SKEI, Assistant Director Planning and Development Department BY: H SPEES, Director Housing and Homeless Initiatives SUBJECT ..Title Approve an Agreement with the Poverello House for the acquisition of sleeping cabins for the Village of Hope II - Temporary Emergency Shelter in the amount of $1,268,645.72. ..Body RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends the City Council approve an agreement with the Poverello House to purchase and place 52 Sleeping Cabins in the Village of Hope II funded by ARPA Funds under The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2) to aid public health and economic recovery from COVID-19; and authorize the City Manager or designee to sign all necessary implementing agreements as approved to form by the City Attorney. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The City Council's approval of $1,268,645.72 of ARPA Funding will secure 52, 100 square foot units with housing for over one hundred beds of emergency shelter. When used in conjunction with over $5 million provided by the Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) Program Application by the State of California's Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency's (BCHS) Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council (HCFC) will provide the resources needed to offer housing and services to the unhoused in downtown Fresno. BACKGROUND The City of Fresno (City) was awarded over $5 million in grant funds through the Encampment Resolution Funding Program by the State of California's BCHS/HCFC. City Council will be asked to approve acceptance of these funds in a separate action on the agenda. The City's successful application represents the largest grant of its kind in the State. The City's proposed commitment to fund Village of Hope II by supplying beds is essential to resolve the City's oldest and most significant encampment area, namely downtown. These funds ($1,268,645.72) will provide for the acquisition and placement of sleeping cabins that add over one hundred beds of shelter needed for a successful encampment resolution process. The ERF grant will provide for operations of these temporary emergency shelters. When implemented, these two investments together will result in a safer downtown and offer new futures to over one hundred unhoused individuals currently living on downtown streets. Poverello House: Acquisition of Sleeping Cabins for Temporary Emergency Shelter The proposed $1,268,645.72 in ARPA funds for Poverello House's Village of Hope II will allow for Poverello House's acquisition and furnishing of 52, 100-square-foot units which will house over one hundred individuals experiencing homelessness who are impacted by COVID-19. Poverello House will also acquire and install one, eight hundred square foot unit for the provision of supportive services, three 2-stall bathroom units, and one 2-stall ADA-compliant bathroom unit. The acquisition of the units shall also include assembly services, air conditioning units for each residential pallet shelter, one hundred folding bunk beds, and one hundred custom-fit mattress pads. ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS This is not a project for purposes of CEQA pursuant to CEQA guidelines Section 15378. LOCAL PREFERENCE Local preference is not applicable because of the use of federal funding. FISCAL IMPACT The agreements will be funded through the City's ARPA Funds. Attachment: Exhibit A: Agreement with Poverello House - Village of Hope (Acquisition of Sleeping Cabins)