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AMENDMENT NO. ONE TO CONTRACT NO. K-1213-51: A CONTRACT BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, AND THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE INCREASING THE EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT AMOUNT BY $8,481.26 TO BE USED FOR HOUSING RELOCATION AND STABILIZATION SERVICES FOR THE HOMELESS AND FAMILIES SEEKING ASSISTANCE.
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BACKGROUND: On May 22, 2012, City Council authorized the submission of an Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) on behalf of Food and Shelter, Inc. to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce (ODOC) for the second round of 2011 funding. ODOC designated $522,830 of available funding statewide for the 2011 allocation. Eligible activities for this allocation were restricted to housing relocation and stabilization services only with no funds for general operations included. The total amount available was to be evenly divided between the six non-entitlement Continuums of Care (CoC) within the state. The Cleveland County Continuum of Care was initially to be awarded a total of $76,730 to eligible agencies located within the Cleveland County Continuum of Care through an application process.
Applications were scored by ODOC with the highest scoring application from each Continuum receiving the funding. One application was sponsored by the City of Norman on behalf of Food and Shelter for the full amount available, because Food and Shelter is the only agency with capacity to administer the program that was based on the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program (HPRP) regulations. The Cleveland County Continuum of Care designated Food and Shelter as the recipient of both the HPRP funds and the 2011 ESG funds, which allowed for the continuation of some of the services that were provided by HPRP. The award letter was received July 9, 2012 from ODOC informing the City that the application had been rated and approved for funding in the amount of $84,031. This amount was $7,301 more than originally expected.
DISCUSSION: Contract K-1213-51 with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce for the 2011 second allocation of funding for the Emergency Solutions Grant Program was approved by the City Council in the amount of $84,031. A subsequent contract with Food and Shelter, Inc. for that same amount was also approved by the City Council as K-1213-52. Food and Shelter, Inc. is the central intake agency for homeless individuals and families seeking assistance, and for individuals and families facing the potential for homelessness in Cleveland County. This grant has been used for two primary purposes: (1) to provide homeless prevention component - housing relocation and stabilization services and short-and/or medium-term rental assistance necessary to prevent an individual or family from moving into an emergency shelter or another place that would render them homeless; and (2) to provide rapid rehousing assistance component - housing relocation and stabilization services and short-and/or medium-term rental assistance as necessary to help a homeless individual or family move as quickly as possible into permanent housing and achieve stability in that housing.
Because some contracts were not fulfilled by other agencies in other communities, ODOC recaptured $8,481.26 and offered it to the City of Norman to be added to the grant for Food and Shelter, Inc. The attached contract amendment in the amount of $8,481.26 increases the total grant amount to $92,512.26 and extends the time frame of the contract through September 30, 2013. All of the additional funds will be used for homeless prevention. An amendment to the contract with Food and Shelter, Inc. in the same amount is in the following City Council item.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of Amendment No. One to Contract No.K-1213-51 with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce for the reallocated funding for the Emergency Solutions Grant program in the amount of $8,481.26 with a new contract amount of $92,512.26 and if approved increase Emergency Shelter Grant (021-0000-331.13-19) by $8,481.26.