* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:02] OKAY, WE'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. TODAY IS FEBRUARY 3RD, 4:00 PM UH, THIS IS A SPECIAL, UH, MEETING. OKAY. AND THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO ROLL CALL. CLAUDE DIALS. YEAH, TAMIKA BOY. HERE. KIMBERLY. WE HERE. JAMIE FER. PRESENT. IKO TAN. ABSENT. ANNA TOSKI. ABSENT. OCK MCPA. HERE. NIKKI AMICK. HERE. CONNOR LOCKE. ABSENT. PATRICIA SCOTT. ABSENT. MELANIE MARTINS. ABSENT. STEVEN ROCKENBACH. HERE. AMY LOWRY LU. ABSENT. BRANDY BROWN SHAW. HERE WE HAVE QUORUM. AND THEN JUST AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. UM, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY AFTER EACH AGENDA ITEM TO SPEAK. UM, YOU ARE LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES. UM, AND JUST REMEMBER THAT IT'S NOT A Q AND A SESSION. YOUR, UH, COMMENTS WON'T BE ANSWERED AT THIS TIME, BUT YOU ARE FREE TO, UM, FIND A STAFF MEMBER AFTER IF YOU WANNA, UH, GET A COMMUNICATION. AND THEN, UH, WE WILL HAVE A TIMER UP FOR YOU GUYS. AND AFTER THE AGENDA ITEMS HAVE GONE THROUGH, WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS AS WELL. OKAY. EXCUSE ME, I THINK WE'RE AT THE WRONG WAY. WE WERE JUST HERE TO SEND PAPERS. OH, YEAH, YOU MAYBE YOU WANNA CHECK WITH THE, SORRY. THANK YOU. OKAY. AND THEN PAT SCOTT HAS JOINED THE MEETING. SORRY, I'M LATE. NO WORRIES. LET ME JUST, AND THEN OKAY. WE'LL GO AHEAD WITH ITEM NUMBER ONE. OKAY. GOING THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD. WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA TODAY. THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, ITEM NUMBER TWO SIX DASH 5 4 22, WHICH IS A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE SUBMISSION TO US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT FOR NON-COMPETITIVE RENEWAL OF CONTINUUM OF CARE FUNDED PROJECT, UH, PROJECTS. AND OUR PRESENTER IS JOSEPH PATELLA. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. PATELLO, ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR, HOMELESS SERVICES BUREAU. UH, SO OUR FIRST ITEM IS GOING TO BE, UH, AS DESCRIBED, UM, A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THIS TO SUBMISSION OF NON-COMPETITIVE RENEWAL FOR COC FUNDING PROGRAM . UH, SO, UH, TODAY WE'LL BE JUST REVIEWING AGAIN THE TIMELINE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2025, UH, COMPETITION, INCLUDING ACTIONS AND LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS. I'M GONNA PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE RENEWAL SUBMISSION PROCESS AS CLARIFIED BY HI, AND THEN DISCUSS NEXT STEPS TO RESPOND TO THE REOPEN, NO PHONE AND PLANNING EFFORTS. UM, SO THIS TIMELINE MIGHT LOOK FAMILIAR FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WERE HERE LAST MONTH. UM, SO BACK IN NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER 13TH, UH, US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING URBAN DEVELOPMENT HAD RELEASED THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 COC NOFO, AND THEY HAD INTRODUCED MAJOR CHANGES TO THE COMPETITION. UH, IN DECEMBER, UH, DECEMBER 8TH, IN RESPONSE TO, UH, TWO SEPARATE, UM, TWO SEPARATE, UH, UH, LAWSUITS HAD REMOVED, WITHDREW THE NOFO TO MAKE REVISIONS AND ISSUE A MODIFIED VERSION, WHICH THEY DID. ON DECEMBER 19TH, THEY RELEASED THAT MODIFIED VERSION FOR PUBLIC REVIEW. UH, SEVERAL DAYS LATER ON DECEMBER 23RD, UH, THE DISTRICT COURT OF RHODE ISLAND DID ORDERED THE PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION FOR HOW TO PAUSE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THEIR FISCAL YEAR 2025 NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY AND TAKE STEPS TO PROCESS RENEWALS UNDER THE 20 24, 20 25 NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, UM, WITHOUT OBLIGATING FUNDS. ESSENTIALLY, UH, THE COURT ORDERED THEM TO MOVE FORWARD WITH PROCESSES TO RENEW PROJECTS IN THE EVENT ESSENTIALLY THAT THEY, UH, ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR COURT HEARING TO IMPLEMENT THEIR PREFERRED NOTICE OF BUYING OPPORTUNITY ON JANUARY 9TH. UM, THEY DID REOPEN THAT 20 24, 20 25 PROCESS WITH THE GUIDANCE OF PROCESS RENEWALS, UM, INCLUDING OUTLINING SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS TO RESPOND TO THAT COURT ORDER. UH, AND THEN THE NEW DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTED THERE ON JANUARY 26TH, A DISSEMINATED GUIDANCE ON THE NOTIFICATION PROCESS TO SUBMIT, UM, A, UH, PROJECT APPLICATIONS WITHOUT A PRIORITY LISTING AND TO SUBMIT THOSE PROJECTS FOR RENEWALS WITH THE DEADLINE OF FEBRUARY 9TH. SO WHAT WE'RE HERE TODAY IS TO, UH, REVIEW THAT PROCESS AND REQUEST YOUR APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD. UM, SO AGAIN, UM, HU OPENED THE COMPETITION ON JANUARY 9TH AND DISSEMINATED THAT SUBMISSION GUIDANCE ON JANUARY 26TH. UM, EFFECTIVELY, UH, THE FEDERAL PROCESS, WHILE THE COURT ORDER IS REMAINING IN EFFECT, IS THE 2025 NOFO, UH, WHICH IS THE ONE RELEASED BY THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION. UH, THAT'S ENJOYED. IT WON'T BE IMPLEMENTED OR ENFORCED UNTIL THERE'S FURTHER COURT ORDER. UH, AND AGAIN, HUD HAD, [00:05:01] UH, REQUESTED THAT, UH, ELIGIBLE RENEWALS UNDER THE 24 20 25 FRAMEWORK WHERE PROCESS, UH, EXCLUDING THE OBLIGATION TO FUND THE GRANTING OF ANY SPECIFIC AWARD. SO, AGAIN, THAT BASICALLY MEANS THAT HUD WILL MOVE FORWARD AS IF THEY ARE RENEWING THOSE PROJECTS, IF THEY ARE UNSUCCESSFUL IN THE LAWSUIT. UH, AND THAT'S CONTINUING RIGHT NOW IN THE COURT. SO STILL WAITING TO HEAR SOME UPDATES ON THERE. UH, THE TWO PATHWAYS FOR RENEWAL, UH, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA SKIP TO THE BOTTOM. SO NOT RECOMMENDED IS SUBMITTING RENEWALS THAT ARE NOT, THAT WERE NOT FUNDED IN 2024. SO THESE WOULD'VE BEEN PROJECTS THAT POTENTIALLY WERE FUNDED UNDER, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SPECIAL UNSHELTERED NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY. UH, THOSE WERE, UM, FUNDED IN 2022. THEY BEGAN IN 2020, SOMETIME IN 2023, UH, THROUGH 20 25, 20 26. UM, WE REQUESTED AN EXTENSION ON THOSE SINCE IT TOOK A LITTLE TIME IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS WE STILL HAD SPEND DOWN THERE. SO WE REQUESTED AN EXTENSION ON THOSE PROJECTS TO ONE INCREASE SPEND DOWN, BUT TWO, DUE TO SOME OF THE COMPETITION FACTORS. AND LOOKING AT, UM, HUD POTENTIALLY ENFORCING REALLOCATION FOR PERMANENT HOUSING PROJECTS, REMOVING THOSE FROM OUR ANNUAL RENEWAL DEMAND ALSO MEANT THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO REALLOCATE LESS FUNDING THROUGH HUD'S PREFERRED COMPETITION. SO IT WAS ACTUALLY TWO REASONS WE CHOSE TO, UH, TO EXTEND THOSE PROJECTS RATHER THAN SUBMIT THEM FOR, FOR RENEWAL. UM, SO IN THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE YOU EITHER HAD PROJECTS THAT NEEDED, UH, RENEWAL IN 2025, UM, OR YOU WANTED TO CREATE NEW PROJECTS THROUGH REALLOCATION, YOU'D HAVE TO COMPLETE THOSE PROJECT APPLICATIONS IN, UH, HUGS EAP SYSTEM, UH, AND SUBMIT A 2025 PRIORITY LISTING. UM, THAT IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR REASONS THAT WE'LL GET INTO DURING OUR SECOND ITEM AS WELL. UH, THE RECOMMENDATION FOR BOARD APPROVAL IS, UH, THE PATHWAY ONE, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY COMMUNICATING TO HUD THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO REALLOCATE, REPLACE, OR CONSOLIDATE ANY PROJECTS. UM, AND AGAIN, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE PROJECTS FOR RENEWING FOR THE FIRST TIME OR REQUIRE RENEWAL THROUGH, UH, OTHER COMPETITION PROCESSES LIKE THE SPECIAL ONE SHELTER NOFO, LIKE THE YOUTH HOMELESSNESS DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO ESSENTIALLY JUST EMAIL HUD AND SAY, PLEASE RENEW ALL OF OUR PROJECTS. UH, AND IF THE COURT CASE IS SUCCESSFUL, UH, NOT IN HUD'S REGARD, BUT IN THE, UH, PLAINTIFF'S REGARD, THEN THEY WILL THEN PROCESS THOSE RENEWALS AND THAT WILL EXTEND FUNDING FOR CSC FUNDED PROGRAMS, UH, THROUGH 2027. ESSENTIALLY, THESE, THESE WOULD START IN 2026, AND THEN THEY WOULD END IN 2027 THIS SUMMER. WE'LL HAVE A COMPETITION FOR PROJECTS THAT WOULD HAVE A GRANT TERM STARTING IN 27, ENDING IN 28. AND THAT'S LIKELY WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE SOME D DECISIONS REGARDING, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY REALLOCATING PROJECTS DEPENDING ON WHAT THAT, SO I'M GONNA SHOW THE LANGUAGE HERE. UH, SO THE LANGUAGE THAT WE WERE GOING TO SUBMIT TO HUD EFFECTIVELY, UM, IS THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HOMELESS SERVICES BUREAU, WHO IS A COLLABORATIVE APPLICANT FOR THE LONG BEACH CONTINUUM OF CARE. UH, IS WRITING TO NOTIFY HUD THAT HER COC WILL NOT BE SUBMITTING ANY PROJECT APPLICATIONS OR A COC PRIORITY LISTING UNDER THE 24 25 NOFO FOR THE 25 FUNDING YEAR. AND THAT CONSISTENT WITH THE GUIDANCE OUTLINED IN HUD'S JANUARY, 2026 NOTICE. UM, WE ARE CONFIRMING THAT WE ARE NOT REALLOCATING, REPLACING OR CONSOLIDATING ANY PROGRAM AWARDS THROUGH 25, UH, FISCAL YEAR 25. UH, WE'RE NOT SUBMITTING ANY RENEWALS THAT WERE NOT AWARDED IN 2024. UH, AND WE WISH TO RELY SOLELY ON OUR 2024 PROOF APPLICATION FOR 2025 RENEWAL FUNDING. UM, SO IF APPROVED TODAY, UM, WE WILL SEND THAT REQUEST TO HU AND AGAIN, THAT'S DUE, UH, NEXT WEEK, NEXT MONDAY, INDICATING THAT WE WANT ALL PROJECTS TO BE RENEWED. UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR HU GUIDANCE LITIGATION, SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE COURTS, WHETHER OR NOT, UH, THESE RENEWAL APPLICATIONS WILL BE PROCESSED OR WHETHER WE'LL HAVE TO KIND OF GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND HU RE RELEASES THEIR PREFERRED NOFO. UM, AND THEN WE'LL ALSO DISSEMINATE SCORE, UH, REPORTS AND RESULTS. SO, UM, WE DID FINALIZE THOSE. I'M IN THE PROCESS OF DOING A REALLOCATION REVIEW. UH, ALTHOUGH WE ARE NOT GOING TO IMPLEMENT, IF THE BOARD APPROVES REALLOCATION THIS YEAR OR A FORMAL RANKING PROCESS, WE ARE STILL GONNA PRESENT THAT TO YOU ALL THAT WAY YOU CAN SEE WHERE PROJECTS WERE LANDED, WHAT PROJECTS MAY HAVE BEEN COMPOSED FOR REALLOCATION AND HOW PERFORMANCES, AND THAT'LL KIND OF PROVIDE US WITH SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, UH, TO CONSIDER AS WE'RE MOVING INTO THE 2026 COMPETITION IN A FEW MONTHS. UM, SO HOPEFULLY I'M, I'M GONNA HAVE, UH, LIKE I SAID, THE PROJECT SCORING AS WELL AS A HYPOTHETICAL REALLOCATION AND PRIORITY LISTING, UH, DURING THE NEXT MEETING SO YOU CAN SEE HOW PROJECTS ARE ACTUALLY PERFORMING. UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO [00:10:01] DO SOME DATA ANALYSIS ON SOME INDIVIDUAL, UM, METRICS WITHIN THERE. UH, AND IF WE IDENTIFY CERTAIN TRENDS, WE'LL PROBABLY REQUEST YOU ALL TO, TO PUT TOGETHER AN ACO COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT THAT SCORING POLICY MOVING INTO THE 2026 COMPETITION. SO, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE PLAN THERE. UM, THAT IS ALL FOR MY PRESENTATION HERE ON ITEM ONE. I'VE GONNA OPEN THINGS UP TO QUESTIONS, UH, AND COMMENTS REGARDING THE NON-REPETITIVE APPROVAL PROCESS. CAN WE UPDATE AN APPROVAL, A MOTION FIRST? SO SECOND. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE CAN MOVE TO QUESTIONS. YEAH, I'M SORRY. YOU SAID QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD. DID ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES. UM, WHAT DOES THIS NEED MEAN FOR THE CONTINUITY OF SERVICES FOR, YEAH, GREAT QUESTION. SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA GET INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE IN OUR SECOND AGENDA ITEM. HONESTLY, THINKING ABOUT IT, I WAS LIKE, MAYBE I SHOULD MOVE THE SECOND AGENDA ITEM FIRST TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE, UH, ARE REQUESTING FOR WAIVING REALLOCATION. BUT EFFECTIVELY, IF PROJECTS ARE RENEWED, THAT WILL EXTEND FUNDING FOR ALL THESE PROJECTS AGAIN UNTIL 2027, WE'LL HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF WHERE PROJECTS ARE THIS SUMMER, WHEN WE'RE PUTTING THINGS TOGETHER FOR THE 2026 COMPETITION. UH, AND SO THAT'LL ESSENTIALLY BUY US A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA TIME TO SUPPORT WITH PLANNING FOR POTENTIALLY REPLACEMENT FUNDING, POTENTIALLY SPEAKING TO PROVIDERS WHO MAY CHOOSE TO RAMP DOWN PROJECTS IF THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE REALLOCATED GONNA LOSE FUNDING DURING THE COMPETITION. SO WE'RE HOPING IT'LL KIND OF ENSURE THAT THESE PROGRAMS ARE MAINTAINED AS WE'RE TRYING TO SEE WHAT SOME OTHER FUNDING DECISION DECISIONS ARE ACROSS THE COUNTY AS WELL. UH, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, WAITING TO, TO HEAR ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME ALLOCATIONS FROM THE COUNTY. SO, UH, YEAH, WE'RE HOPING THAT IT'LL ESSENTIALLY ENABLE THESE PROJECTS TO HAVE A BRIDGE TO EITHER FUTURE FUNDING OR TO REINVENT A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFECTIVELY. UM, IF NOT, AND WE WERE TO CHOOSE TO REALLOCATE NOW, THESE PROJECTS WOULD BE ENDING IN, 'CAUSE IT IS WAY LATER IN THE YEAR THAN USUAL. UH, ABSENT RENEWAL, EVERY PROJECT EXPIRES, UH, JULY 30TH, 2026. SO IN ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE WEEKS OR SO. SO, UH, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE CHOSE TO MAKE THIS RECOMMENDATION IS BECAUSE, UM, AND AGAIN, WE'LL GET INTO THIS IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL, UM, ASKING PROJECTS TO KIND OF RAMP DOWN WITHIN LIKE FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS REGARD KIND OF TRANSITION PLAN IS, IS VERY, VERY TIGHT. UM, ESPECIALLY WITH KIND OF OTHER FUNDING UNCERTAINTY. UM, YOU KNOW, WE, SOME, SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW LIKE EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS THAT WERE FUNDED, UH, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE COVID BILL. A LOT OF THOSE ARE RAMPING DOWN. THEY'RE EXPIRING ALREADY, TRYING TO FIND PLACEMENT FUNDS THERE. SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE WORKING WITH THEM TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO TRUCK MATCH THOSE FOLKS, OTHER RESOURCES THAT ARE STILL ELIGIBLE. SO HOPING THAT TO BUY A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME WHILE WE KIND OF LOOK AT THE FUNDING LANDSCAPE AND MAKE OTHER KIND OF DETERMINATIONS AS WHERE WHAT PROJECTS CAN CONTINUE AND WHAT FUNDING SOURCES WILL SUPPORT THAT. OKAY. SO BUSINESS AS USUAL, ALL WE'RE ALL WE'RE NOT DOING IS, UM, FUNDING NEW PROJECTS, RIGHT? CORRECT. NEW 'CAUSE THAT'S JUST SO VOLATILE RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? THERE'S NO, UM, THIS IS STRICTLY RENEWAL FUNDING AND I, I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER CONSIDERATION ON THE REALLOCATION ASPECT, WHICH IS WHY MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE COVERED THAT ONE FIRST. BUT YEAH, THERE'S NO NEW FUNDING AVAILABLE CURRENTLY. THIS IS STRICTLY A RENEWAL PROCESS. SO ANY NEW PROJECTS THAT WE, THAT WOULD BE PROPOSED WOULD NEED TO BE MADE FROM REALLOCATED FUNDING FROM THESE EXISTING PROJECTS. AND SO WE DON'T, IT IS A LITTLE BIT UNCLEAR IF HUD IS JUST PLANNING ON UNCONDITIONALLY CREATING THOSE PROJECTS BASED ON THERE, UM, OR WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE, THERE'S SOME KIND OF COMPETITIVE ELEMENT, WHICH HASN'T REALLY BEEN INDICATED, BUT AS WE KIND OF DISCUSSED LAST MEETING, MEETING, UM, THE 20 24, 20 25 THAT THESE RENEWALS ARE BEING PROCESSED UNDER IS DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE DIRECTION WE KNOW HUD IS GOING. AND SO, ONE FEAR THAT WE'VE HAD IS IF WE WERE TO DEVELOP A NEW PROJECT TO PROPOSE TO HUD THAT MEETS 20 24, 20 25 STANDARDS, WHICH INCLUDES RIGHT HOUSING FIRST, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT MANDATING THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, UM, NOT PLACING A CAP ON RIGHT. URBAN HOUSING FUNDING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT IN A FEW MONTHS THOSE PROJECTS MAY THEN BE PUT ON A CHOPPING BLOCK AND [00:15:01] WE MIGHT HAVE TO LOOK AT COMPLETELY REALLOCATING THEM EFFECTIVELY BEFORE THEY EVEN START. UH, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY STRATEGICALLY, WE DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO TRY TO MOVE TOWARDS USING REALLOCATION RIGHT NOW TO CREATE NEW PROJECTS. SO, BECAUSE IT'S SO LATE IN THE YEAR, AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO RAMP UP WITHIN ABOUT FOUR MONTHS, AND WE'D HAVE TO HOLD LIKE AN OPEN PROCUREMENT PERIOD, UM, AS WELL AS JUST THE LIST OF APPLICATIONS. SO THAT WOULD INVOLVE, UM, DEVELOPING THAT RFB, HAVING IMPROVED INTERNALLY THROUGH LONG BEACH, UH, PUTTING THE RFP OUT THERE, ASKING FOLKS TO RESPOND TO THE RFP SCORING THOSE ELEMENTS, THEN HELPING THEM DEVELOP PROJECT APPLICATIONS TO SUBMIT TO HUD. UM, FRANKLY, RIGHT NOW IT'S VERY, VERY LATE. UM, WHEN, UH, IF WE WOULD'VE SAID, YOU KNOW, ON JANUARY 9TH, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD'VE MOVED TOWARDS THERE, THAT STILL WOULD'VE GIVEN US, UH, 20 BUSINESS DAYS TO DO ALL THAT, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES THE RESPONSE TIME THAT SUBMITTING THE HUB BY THE NINTH AS WELL. SO, UM, THE TIMELINES WERE VERY, VERY TIGHT. AND FROM WHAT WE'VE HEARD, UH, AT LEAST WHAT I'VE HEARD, UH, FROM SOME OTHER FOLKS, IS THAT NOT MANY FOLKS ARE CHOOSING TO REALLOCATE AND PROPOSE NEW PROJECTS THROUGH THIS SPECIFIC PROCESS, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'LL HOLD IN THE COURTS RIGHT NOW. IT'S STILL ENJOYING. SO THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY GONNA MAKE ANY AWARDS UNTIL THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, COURT IS, THAT COURT IS FINAL. THANK YOU. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO WHERE WOULD THEY BE LITIGATING AGAIN, ON THIS? SO, I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THE HOMELESS COUNT RESULTS COMING IN. THERE'S A LOT OF THIS GONNA BE BASED UPON OUR HOMELESS COUNT. YEAH. FROM WHAT WE KNOW, THE 2026 COMPETITION WILL BE HEAVILY WEIGHED ON, UM, SYSTEM PERFORMANCE, UH, AND DRASTIC REDUCTIONS IN HOMELESSNESS, AS WELL AS SOME OTHER ELEMENTS INCLUDING, UM, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTIVE SERVICE INCORPORATION, MANDATED SUPPORT, SERVICE INCORPORATION, AND EVEN, UM, I THINK WE EVEN BRIEFLY DISCUSSED, UM, I THINK IT WAS IN NOVEMBER WHERE WE LOOKED AT SOME OF THOSE CHANGES. UM, AGAIN, THE, WE DON'T KNOW THAT'S GONNA BE EXACTLY THE NEXT NO VOTE. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER THING THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SAYING THEY WERE GONNA S WORSE ON WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT REPRESENTATIVES ON THE BOARD AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO, UM, YEAH, IT, IT, IT IS, WE, WE DO KIND OF KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO. UM, AND IT SEEMS TO BE VERY, VERY FOCUSED ON PERFORMANCE. UM, AND SO IT'S REALLY GONNA DEPEND ONCE WE GET THOSE NUMBERS, UH, WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. AND THEN, UM, AGAIN, A LOT OF THE SEEMINGLY ASPECTS OF THE COMPETITION THAT PREVIOUSLY WERE WEIGHED, UH, A LITTLE MORE HEAVILY, INCLUDING OUR LOCAL PROCESS, THINGS THAT ARE UNDER OUR CONTROL, HOW WE SCORE PROJECTS, RANK THEM, RATE THEM, HOW WE DEAL WITH PRE APPLICATION. UH, THEY'RE REALLY SCALING BACK THE, THE WEIGHT OF THOSE THINGS. SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA DO AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN TO SCORE VERY, VERY WELL AND THOSE, AND WHAT'S UNDER OUR CONTROL AND HOPE THAT YEAH, WHEN THE, UH, HOMELESS SCOUT MEMBERS COME OUT, THEY ARE, UH, AT LEAST NOT HARMING US IN ANY WAY. UM, BUT AGAIN, OBVIOUSLY, UH, HOMELESS SCOUT BEING LAST WEEK, UH, A LITTLE TOO EARLY TO TELL. BUT THANK YOU EVERYBODY EITHER ON THE BOARD OR THE AUDIENCE. I MAY, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THANK YOU. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WISH TO SPEAK ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? IF YOU CAN, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. SEE NONE. GO AHEAD AND PUT THE MOTIONS. YEAH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, ITS TWO SIX DASH 5 4 3. A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVING FILE VISITATION APPROVING FY 25 CONTINUE CC PROGRAM VIA ALLOCATION RECOMMENDATIONS. AND, UH, AFTERNOON EVERYONE. JOSEPH ELLO, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR AT HOME SERVICES BUREAU. UM, THIS ITEM WILL BE, UM, THE, UH, COC PROGRAM, REALLOCATION RECOMMENDATION. AND, UH, DESPITE THE FACT THAT SOME INFORMATION ON AGENDA IQ WAS IN THE MEMO, UH, THIS IS EFFECTIVELY WHAT THE MEMO WAS COVERING. SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA START OFF BY JUST PROVIDING A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF REALLOCATION AND THRESHOLDS. UH, REVIEW OUR RECOMMENDATION AND THE RATIONALE FOR THAT RECOMMENDATION, [00:20:01] AND THEN DISCUSS THE NEXT STEPS TO RESPOND TO THE REOPENING THE PROGRAM PLANNING. SO AS PART OF THE COC PROGRAM COMPETITION, THAT REQUIRES COC TO HAVE A REALLOCATION PROCESS. UM, SO WHAT IS REALLOCATION? REALLOCATION IS EFFECTIVELY A PROCESS WHICH A CFC SHIFTS FUNDING IN PART FROM EXISTING PROJECTS THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN RENEWED TO CREATE ONE OF MORE PROJECTS THAT EITHER BETTER ALIGN WITH SYSTEM NEEDS, UM, OR BETTER ALIGN WITH SYSTEM PRIORITIES. SO THERE GONNA BE TWO TYPES OF REALLOCATION. ONE IS INVOLUNTARY, WHERE A PROJECT DOESN'T MEET ONE OR MORE DEFINED COMMUNITY STANDARDS. UH, AND THE SECOND IS VOLUNTARY, WHICH IS A SELECTED ACTION BY THE RECIPIENT TO RETURN FUNDS TO THE COC TO DEVELOP NEW PROJECTS. UH, HERE ARE THE INVOLUNTARY REALLOCATION STANDARDS IN OUR POLICY. UM, SO THE LONG BEACH CONTINUUM OF CARE, UH, REALLOCATION POLICY HAS MULTIPLE REALLOCATION STANDARDS, UM, IN ADDITION TO A PERFORMANCE, UM, EVALUATION OR SCORING COMMITTEE. I'LL ALSO RECOMMEND, UH, WHEN WE GET TO THAT TIME DEVELOPING A REALLOCATION COMMITTEE FOR THE 2020, UH, SIX NOTICE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY WHEN IT COMES. BUT THIS IS CURRENTLY WHAT OUR POLICY SAYS, AND THIS IS HOW WE APPLIED IT FOR, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR REALLOCATION. 'CAUSE THERE IS SOME PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT LANGUAGE IN THERE AS WELL. UH, THE FIRST IS OVERALL PERFORMANCE. SO ANY PROJECT THAT RECEIVES 50% OF THE POINTS POSSIBLE OR LESS, ARE SUBJECT TO FULL REALLOCATION, UH, UTILIZATION IS THE SAME THRESHOLD, UH, PROJECT WITH THE SCORE OF 50% OR LESS. UH, UTILIZATION ARE SUBJECT TO FULL REALLOCATION, UH, CHRONIC UTILIZATION. SO THIS IS PROJECTS THAT DEMONSTRATE THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF UNDER UTILIZATION AT OR ABOVE 10% OF THE TOTAL BEDS OR SLOTS AVAILABLE. SO THAT'S THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS. IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A HUNDRED BEDS, IF YOU HAVE 10 OR MORE OF THOSE BEDS OR SLOTS THAT ARE NOT UTILIZED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, OVER THREE YEARS, YOU'LL BE PARTIALLY REALLOCATED BASED ON THE FORMULA. THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THE FUNDING PER SLOT AND THE NUMBER OF UNDER UNUTILIZED BEDS. SO, UH, IF IT WAS, AGAIN, A HUNDRED BEDS, I'LL DO REAL SIMPLE A HUNDRED BEDS AND THERE WAS A HUNDRED DOLLARS, AND THEN YOU WERE AT THAT 90%, THEN THAT WOULD BE $10 WORTH WOULD BE REALLOCATED. SO EFFECTIVELY, YOU'RE NOT USING THE SLOTS. SO WE'RE GONNA REALLOCATE THE SLOTS THAT'S OVER THREE YEARS. UM, ADDITIONALLY, UH, THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS THAT ARE AT OR ABOVE 25% WOULD BE SUBJECT TO FULL REALLOCATION. SO AGAIN, USING THE SAME EXAMPLE, A HUNDRED BEDS OR A HUNDRED SLOTS, 25 OF THOSE SLOTS EFFECTIVELY ARE EMPTY. ON AVERAGE FOR THREE YEARS. THE PROJECT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO FULL REALLOCATION, UH, FOR SPEND DOWN, UH, PROJECTS WITH THE SPEND DOWN OF LESS THAN 70% ARE SUBJECT TO FULL REALLOCATION. SO AGAIN, WITH THAT A HUNDRED DOLLARS EXAMPLE, IF, UH, YOU ARE SPENDING LESS THAN, UH, $70 ON OF THAT A HUNDRED, THEN YOU'D BE SUBJECT TO FULL REALLOCATION YOUR PROJECT. AND THEN CHRONIC UNDERSPENDING, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR TO CHRONIC UTILIZATION. SO THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS, UNDERSPENDING AT OR ABOVE 50% SUBJECT TO PARTIAL REALLOCATION. AND THAT'S EFFECTIVELY HALF OF THE AMOUNT OF THE AVERAGE. SO YOU WOULD TAKE THE AVERAGE OF UNDERSPEND OVER THREE YEARS, AND THEN YOU'D DIVIDE THAT IN HALF, AND THAT'S HOW MUCH THAT PROJECT WOULD BE REALLOCATED. AND THEN THREE YEARS CONSECUTIVE OF AN AVERAGE OF 25% OR MORE WOULD BE SUBJECT TO FULL REALLOCATION. UH, AND THAT'S BASED AGAIN, ON THE AVERAGE, UNDER SPEND OVER THREE YEARS. SO THESE ARE CURRENTLY THE INVOLUNTARY STANDARDS PARSED OUT OF THAT POLICY. UM, AND SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING, AGAIN, TO WAIVE THESE FOR GO THESE REALLOCATION STANDARDS FOR THIS COMPETITION. UH, AND I'M GONNA GET INTO SOME OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE MAKING THAT RECOMMENDATION DOWN. SORRY, JUST A QUICK QUESTION ON THE, UH, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. GO BACK A SLIDE IF THAT'S ALRIGHT. ON THE SPEND DOWN, I DON'T SEE A YEAR TAG OF THAT. IS THAT THREE YEAR AVERAGE, OR IS THAT AT ANY ONE GIVEN YEAR DURING THE ALLOCATION? YEAH, GOOD QUESTION. SO THIS, UM, THE SPEND DOWN, THE FIRST SPEND DOWN, UH, WHICH IS THE, THE SECOND FROM THE BOTTOM? YEAH, THAT IS SIMPLY THE PREVIOUS YEAR UNDER REVIEW. SO THIS WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, A GRANT THAT STARTED, UH, IN FI IT WAS FUNDED, I'LL MAKE IT EVEN MORE CONFUSING. IT WAS FUNDED IN FISCAL YEAR 2023. IT BEGAN IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, AND IT ENDED IN FISCAL YEAR 2025. GOTCHA. BUT THAT'S TYPICALLY HOW IT GOES. SO YEAH, ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WERE EVALUATED WERE TECHNICALLY ORIGINALLY FUNDED IN 2023. UM, SO, UH, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT SPEND DOWN, WE WERE LOOKING AT, AT, AT THOSE, UM, [00:25:01] IN THE MOST RECENT TERM. BUT THEN GOING BACK TO CHRONIC UNDERSPENDING UTILIZATION, YOU GO BACK A LITTLE FURTHER. SO IT'D BE THE 20 24, 20 25 TERM, 23, 24 TERM, AND 2223 TERM. UH, AND THEN, UH, OF COURSE, WE WE'RE GONNA GET INTO SOME OF THE SCORING. UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THOSE THREE COMPETITION YEARS ARE ALSO WEIGHTED AS WELL IN THE SCORING, UH, SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME PROJECTS THAT ARE VERY SMALL. AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT, LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, A PROJECT THAT'S ONLY SERVING MAYBE 10 PEOPLE, RIGHT? IF YOU HAVE ONE OR TWO BEDS THAT AREN'T, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT AREN'T UTILIZED OVER A COURSE OF TIME, IT COULD REALLY KIND OF DRAG THE PERFORMANCE SCORE DOWN. SO WE TEND TO USE A FEW YEARS THERE, UH, TO LOOK AT THE FIRST. OKAY. SO, UH, HERE IS THE, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION, THE RATIONALE. SO HOMELESS SERVICES BUREAU, UH, RECOMMENDS THAT THE BOARD WILL GO FORMAL REALLOCATION, UH, BASED ON THE FOLLOWING CIRCUMSTANCES. SO ONE WE SPOKE ABOUT ALREADY, IT'S DELAYED COMPETITION TIMELINE AND ADEQUATE RAMP DOWN PERIOD. UM, SO TYPICALLY, UH, FOR THOSE THAT I'M SURE ALL MEMBERS OF BOARD KNOW, BUT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE HERE, UH, THE COMPETITION TYPICALLY TAKES PLACE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN, UH, JUNE TO, UH, AUGUST, UH, UNTIL THE END OF SEPTEMBER OR THE END OF OCTOBER. TYPICALLY AT THE LATEST PAST FEW YEARS, IT'S NORMALLY BEEN AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER. LAST YEAR IS AT THE END OF OCTOBER. UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN FEBRUARY. UH, AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW THIS SUBMISSION WILL HOLD, AND SO WE MAY NEED TO RESUBMIT, UM, THROUGH A FULL COMPETITION DEPENDING ON WHAT THE SPORTS ENDED UP SAYING. UM, SO THE PLANNING OBVIOUSLY WAS, UM, MUCH MORE LIMITED, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE I RELEASED THE NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, HAD TO PULL IT BACK, RELEASED ANOTHER ONE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, PULLED THAT ONE BACK. NOW THEY'RE IMPLEMENTING A PROCESS BASED ON LAST YEAR'S NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY DO OPENLY DO NOT WANT TO FOLLOW, THEY WANT TO FOLLOW THEIR OWN PROCESS. UM, AND SO THAT DELAYED TIMELINE WOULD MEAN THAT REALLOCATED PROJECTS WOULD HAVE, AGAIN, ABOUT FIVE MONTHS TO RAMP DOWN, UH, WHICH WOULD NOT ONLY, UH, INCREASE THE RISK OF HOUSING AND STABILITY, BUT ALSO STAFF CAPACITY BECAUSE, UM, THOSE, SOME OF THESE PROJECTS ARE FUNDING, UH, DIRECT SERVICE STAFF AS WELL. SO THEY WOULD NOT ONLY HAVE TO LOOK AT, WELL, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH THE FOLKS THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING, EITHER IN TRANSITIONAL OR SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, UH, OR, I'M SORRY, TRANSITIONAL OR PERMANENT HOUSING, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHAT STAFF ARE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE FUNDING TO EITHER CONTINUE WITH THESE STAFF THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY, OR ARE WE GONNA HAVE TO LAY FOLKS OFF NOW? WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE STILL ENROLLED? UM, SO THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF REASONS THERE. UH, SECOND BEING THE ANTICIPATED FEDERAL COMPETITION. FUNDING CHANGES. SO WE KNOW THAT HUD WANTS TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF PERMANENT HOUSING AND PORTFOLIOS. UM, WE KNOW THAT THEY WANT TO MAKE DRASTIC CHANGES TO PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS. UM, AND IN SOME WAYS YOU CAN MAKE CHANGES TO, UM, THE, THE PEOPLE SERVED WITHIN PROJECTS, UH, TRYING TO FOCUS MORE ON FOLKS WITH, UH, PHYSICAL DISABILITIES AND THAT ARE ELDERLY AND KIND OF NEGLECTING TO EVEN MENTION THOSE THAT MAY HAVE, UH, MENTAL HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE USE ISSUES. SO, UH, UNDERSTANDING THAT, UH, CHOOSING TO REALLOCATE AT THIS TIME WOULD EFFECTIVELY MEAN ELIMINATING PROJECTS TO POTENTIALLY MAKE NEW PROJECTS THAT WE MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO REAPPLY FOR. UM, AND ALSO IF WE WERE TO REALLOCATE THE PROJECTS, WE DON'T QUITE KNOW WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD GET THE FUNDING BACK AND WHAT THAT REALLY LOOKS LIKE. 'CAUSE HUD WAS UNCLEAR RE-RELEASE OF THE 20 24, 20 25 NOFO WAS ESSENTIALLY TAKING THAT DOCUMENT, CHANGING THE DATES AND REPUBLISHING IT. UM, THEY DIDN'T REALLY MAKE ANY KIND OF ADDITIONS. UM, HENCE THE GUIDANCE THAT THEY DISSEMINATED VIA EMAIL, UH, TO THEIR LISTSERV ON THE, THE 26TH OF, UH, OF LAST FUND. UM, SO MOVING INTO THE, THE NEXT STAGE THAT FUNDING RISK. SO AGAIN, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT REALLOCATION PROPOSING NEW PROJECTS WOULD LOOK LIKE. UM, AND ALSO WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THOSE PROJECTS WOULD EVEN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY GET OFF THE GROUND BEFORE BEING, UH, FORMALLY REALLOCATED. I MEAN, UM, WE COULD PROPOSE OR, YOU KNOW, CONCEPTUALIZE A WORLD WHERE, UH, AS IN OUR POLICIES, A NEW PROJECT IS NOT GONNA BE SUBJECT TO GREAT ALLEGATION DURING THEIR FIRST YEAR, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT WE WOULD THEN HAVE TO LOOK AT POTENTIALLY VERY WELL PERFORMING PROJECTS TO HAVE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THEM FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND SAY, WELL, BECAUSE WE PROPOSED THIS PROJECT AND IT'S BRAND NEW AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S GONNA PERFORM AND NO ONE'S REALLY ENROLLED IN IT, BUT YOUR PROJECT, WE'RE GOING TO [00:30:01] FULLY REALLOCATE AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE FOLKS WHO ARE ENROLLED THERE. UM, SO THAT FUNDING RISK IS ALSO, UH, A MAJOR CONSIDERATION. SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO KICK DOWN THE ROAD A LITTLE BIT, AT LEAST IN TERMS OF, UM, IN TERMS OF THE TIMELINE FOR RECEIVING FUNDING FROM HUD AND EXPANDING THAT UP A LITTLE BIT, UH, THE REGIONAL FUNDING DISRUPTIONS AND CONTINUITY PLANNING. SO WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING, UM, AT, AS CHANGES HAPPEN WITHIN THE COUNTY IN PARTICULAR, AND, UM, REGIONAL FUNDING CONSIDERATIONS AND ALLOCATIONS SPECIFICALLY TO LONG BEACH. UM, WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF KIND OF MOCK BUDGETS. WHAT IF THIS HAPPENS? WHAT IF THAT HAPPENS? UH, WHAT BUDGET LINE ITEMS HERE COULD REPLACE HERE? WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS FOR SPENDING AS WELL AS ELIGIBILITY FOR SPENDING? SO THOSE ARE ALL DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE FOR LIKE A KIND OF ONE-TO-ONE FUNDING REPLACEMENT. IF WE WERE TO, UH, HAVE TO REALLOCATE THIS PROJECT, WOULD FUNDING TO CONTINUE THAT PROJECT COME FROM ONE OF MULTIPLE SOURCES, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE ELIGIBILITY WE'RE SPENDING THOSE FUNDS ARE, WE DON'T ALWAYS KNOW. AND PARTICULARLY NOT KNOWING EXACTLY HOW MUCH MONEY, UH, AND FUNDING WE'RE GONNA GET YET. UM, WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO, AGAIN, KIND OF REALLOCATE NOW WITHOUT HAVING THAT TRANSITION PLAN AND REPLACEMENT STRATEGY. UM, ADDITIONALLY THE LAST POINT, AND IS A GOOD ONE, UH, IS AS A UNITED FUNDING AGENCY OR UNIFIED FUNDING AGENCY, I WOULD SAY UNITED, IT'S UNIFIED, I ALWAYS WANT TO SAY UNITED, UNITED STATES, UM, BUT AS A UNIFIED FUNDING AGENCY, UM, LONG BEACH CAN SHIFT FUNDS ACROSS RENEWAL PROJECTS OUTSIDE OF THE COMPETITION, UH, WITH COC APPROVAL, UH, REDUCING THAT NEED FOR FORMAL REALLOCATION. SO EFFECTIVELY, UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY OF YOU, 'CAUSE I KNOW LONG BEACH HASN'T HISTORICALLY DONE THIS OR FAMILIAR WITH THIS AUTHORITY THAT WE HAVE AT THE UFA, BUT EFFECTIVELY, IF WE WERE TO MANAGE OUR BUDGET A LITTLE BIT MORE CLOSELY ACROSS ALL PROJECTS, WE COULD SAY, WELL, PROJECT A SEEMS TO BE SPENDING A LITTLE BIT MORE ON RENTAL ASSISTANCE. UM, MAYBE THEY OVER ENROLLED AND RENTS WENT UP. BUT PROJECT B HAS SOME SPEND DOWN AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES THAT THEY HAVEN'T USED. SO WE'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO JUST SAY TO HUD, CAN YOU JUST MOVE THAT MONEY FROM ONE BUDGET LINE ITEM TO ANOTHER, AND WE CAN SPEND SOME OF THAT MONEY ON PROJECT A FROM PROJECT B THAT WE WOULD'VE SET BACK. UH, LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE WE HAD ABOUT, UH, 600,000 IN UNDERSPEND THAT WAS RETURNED BACK TO HUD. SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING FOR STRATEGIES TO UTILIZE THAT, INCLUDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT, MONITORING AND COMPLIANCE, KIND OF TRYING TO SHIFT SOME FUNDING INTO ADMINISTRATION SO THE CITY CAN DO A LITTLE BIT MORE CLOSE, CLOSE MONITORING, WHICH WILL ALSO ENABLE, ENABLE US TO TAKE SOME OF THAT OTHER FUNDING AND USE IT FOR MORE KIND OF TARGETED INTERVENTIONS OR PROJECTS THAT MAY HAVE, AGAIN, SPENDING ISSUES. SO, UH, TRY TO IMPLEMENT THAT, UM, CURRENTLY. UM, SO, UH, AGAIN, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEEN HOLDING US BACK REALLY IS EXECUTING OUR AGREEMENT WITH TODD. I THINK I CAN SHARE AT LEAST GOOD NEWS. LAST FRIDAY, WE DID FINALLY GET OUR AGREEMENT FROM HU IN THE PROCESS OF ROUTING IT, UH, INTERNALLY TO THE CITY, THE CITY ATTORNEY, CITY MANAGER. THERE IS NEW LANGUAGE IN THE COC GRANT AGREEMENTS THAT ALIGNED WITH SOME OF THE FEDERAL PRIORITIES. SO, UM, BUT WE DID FINALLY GET IT . IT TOOK A FEW MONTHS IN A SHUTDOWN AND, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH EMAILS. UM, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET ALL THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION OVER TO THEM. IT'S MOSTLY MATCH, UH, MATCH LETTERS AND, UH, MOUS FROM, UH, SUB-RECIPIENTS AND PARTNERS THAT WE NEEDED TO KIND OF EXECUTE THAT. BUT, UM, GOT THAT AGAIN, RUNNING IN INTERNALLY, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, AGAIN, WE CAN START, UH, SUBMITTING ADDITIONAL, UM, UH, AS, AS FOLKS ARE SUBMITTING ADDITIONAL REIMBURSEMENTS, WE WILL PAY PEOPLE OUT, UH, AS WELL AS LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE IN THE BUDGET AND REALLY HAVE AN IDEA OF LIKE WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE, UH, MAKE THOSE FUNDING. UH, SO THAT'S THE LAST REASON THAT WE'RE MAKING THIS RECOMMENDATION. UM, SO AGAIN, JUST KIND OF GOING TOWARDS, UM, OUR, UH, DEADLINE. SO WE'LL SUBMIT THAT EMAIL TO HUD BY FEBRUARY 9TH. LIKELY I'LL UPDATE ALL AND HE'LL SUBMIT IT THIS WEEK IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS THAT WE'LL RELY ON THE 2024 APPLICATION APPLICATION. UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR, UM, UPDATES THE LITIGATION, SHARE UPDATES AS THEY RELEASE, UM, AND THEN AGAIN, COMPILING, DISSEMINATING THE SCORE REPORT AND PRESENTING THAT INFORMATION TO YOU ALL IN THE FUTURE MEETING. AND THAT'LL ALSO INCLUDE, AGAIN, WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IN REALLOCATION IF WE WERE APPLYING THE POLICY, UH, CONSISTENTLY RATHER THAN WA IT. UH, AND AGAIN, UM, MOVING FORWARD, UH, I DO ANTICIPATE WITHIN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, TWO TO THREE MONTHS, UM, YOU KNOW, COMING BACK TO [00:35:01] THE BOARD AND BEGINNING TO FORM SOME OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEES, SPECIFICALLY TO WORK ON SOME NOFO POLICIES. UM, AND, AND AGAIN, PREPARE FOR THAT 2026 COMPETITION BECAUSE, UM, HOPEFULLY IT WILL COME OUT EARLY. UH, WE'LL HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO, UH, RESPOND TO IT EFFECTIVELY AND AGAIN, MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE, UM, THE APPROPRIATE DECISIONS MOVING FORWARD, KNOWING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF KIND OF TOUGH, TOUGH DECISIONS TO MAKE, LOOKING AT THE PORTFOLIO, KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT HUB WANTS TO DO. AND, UH, THAT CONCLUDES MY REPUTATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JOSEPH. JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION. UM, IN THE EVENT THAT WE FACE ANOTHER SHUTDOWN, WHAT, WHAT IS THE, I MEAN, DO WE HAVE THE ACTUAL FUNDING IN PLACE AND WOULD JUST BE A MATTER WE'D HAVE TO REFUND IT, OR HOW IS THAT ALL PLAYING OUT RIGHT NOW? UH, SO IT, THE HU USES WHAT THEY CALL LOCS ELECTRONIC LINE OF CREDIT SYSTEM. THERE'S ANOTHER STAY IN THERE, I FORGOT WHERE IT WAS, I TOLD IT TO SOMEONE TODAY. UM, BUT, UH, LOCS CREDIT SYSTEM. SO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO DO THE DRAWS FROM THERE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT, WE HAVEN'T EXECUTED THE AGREEMENT YET. WE DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THAT. UM, I THINK, I BELIEVE THAT IF WE WERE TO, UH, IF IT WERE TO ROUTE INTERNALLY AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE, AND WE WERE TO ANTICIPATE THAT, UH, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING, I DON'T DO THE FINANCES MYSELF. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CITY WOULD BE ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, USING GENERAL FUNDS IN LIEU OF THOSE FUNDS UNTIL WE'RE ABLE TO GET REIMBURSEMENT EFFECTIVELY, WHICH, UH, WE, WE HAD ALREADY STARTED TO DO. UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PROVIDERS HAVE BEEN OPERATING AT THIS POINT FOR OVER SIX MONTHS. YEAH. UH, YOU KNOW, AFTER TERM, UH, KNOWING THAT, UH, AGAIN, THE, THE PREVIOUS SHUTDOWN AS WELL AS A KIND OF AN INCREASED, UM, SO A POLITE WAY TO SAY THIS, UH, A, UH, AN INCREASED, UH, UH, EYE I GUESS FOR POTENTIAL, UH, OVERSIGHTS IN MATCH LETTERS. UM, I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SUBMITTING, UH, A LOT OF MATCH LETTERS, NOT HERE IN LUGGAGE, BUT IN LOS ANGELES THE PAST FEW YEARS. UM, I'VE NEVER BEEN ASKED FOR SOME OF THE DOCUMENTATION THAT THEY ASKED FOR AND HAD TO, UM, OFFER CORRECTIONS TO THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED, UH, TO BE ABLE TO FULLY, UH, GET TO, TO GET THOSE. BUT I, I DO HAVE TO UPLIFT OUR PROVIDERS, UH, ALL OF OUR COC FUNDED PROVIDERS WHO WERE VERY UNDERSTANDING, GOT ON PHONE CALLS, SENDING EMAILS BACK AND FORTH, MULTIPLE MATCH LETTERS, LETTING US MAKE REVISIONS THAT THEY COULD THEN REVIEW AND, AND SIGN AND CORRECT. UM, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF OUR FOLKS USE, UH, LA FOOD BANK IS MATCHING KIND MATCH SERVICES. SO I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH LA FOOD BANK TO GET SOME INFORMATION FROM THEM A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. UM, BUT YEAH, YOU KNOW, IT IS JUST AN ALL AROUND GOOD EFFORT FROM OUR STAFF HERE, UH, STAFF AT, UH, YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP AT ONE OF OUR CLY FUNDED AGENCIES TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WAS COMPLIANT IN LINE. AND LUCKILY, UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE RECEIVED THE RESPONSE, UH, BACK FROM HUD, UH, FROM, SO THE ORIGINAL SUBMISSION OF MATCH INFORMATION WAS IN SEPTEMBER, UH, WE HAD THE SHUT DOWN, UM, THE END OF DECEMBER. UH, WE RECEIVED FEEDBACK, UH, ABOUT A WEEK LATER WE SENT OUR FEEDBACK ON THEIR FEEDBACK BACK TO THEM. UH, AND THEN ABOUT MID STE, UH, MID-JANUARY, I APOLOGIZE, MID-JANUARY, UH, THEY CONFIRMED, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE SHOULD DO. UH, AND LIKE I SAID, IT TOOK ABOUT, TOOK ABOUT TWO WEEKS OR SO, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET OVER THERE AND LUCKILY HUD WAS RUSHING, UH, REVIEWING BECAUSE THEY WERE ANTICIPATING HAVING ANOTHER SHUTDOWN A FEW DAYS AGO. SO, UH, THEY VERY QUICKLY REVIEWED IT WITHIN LIKE TWO DAYS OR SO. SO, UM, AS MUCH AS I MAY, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, BE A LITTLE BIT SNARKY TOWARDS SOME, BASED ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT'S GOING ON, I DO APPRECIATE THAT THEY WERE VERY TIMELY IN REVIEWING OUR RESPONSES, UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE OPERATING FOR SIX MONTHS WITHOUT, WITHOUT THAT FUNDING. NO WORRIES. UH, JOSEPH, SO BASICALLY THROUGH OUR GENERAL FUND, THIS WAS GONNA BANKROLL THIS UNCERTAINTY, RIGHT? UH, I'M SORRY, THE GENERAL FUND, YOU MENTIONED GENERAL FUND. SO, YEAH, SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WE WOULD DRAW, SO WHEN WE DRAW FROM LOCS HU SYSTEM, AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, SO I CAN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW IT WORKS. THIS IS HOW I, I, I EFFECTIVELY UNDERSTAND IT. UM, AS WE DRAW FROM THAT, 'CAUSE A LOT OF OUR MATCHING FUNDS, UM, COME FROM, UH, THE GENERAL FUND, OUR FINANCIAL SYSTEM EFFECTIVELY HAS PROJECT CODES. OKAY? AND SO THOSE PROJECTS CODES ARE LINKED TO A, A BANK ACCOUNT, ESSENTIALLY, RIGHT? AND [00:40:01] SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN WE DRAW ON THOSE, IT COMES OUT OF THE BANK ACCOUNT AND IT'S CATEGORIZED THROUGH THOSE PROJECT ROADS, AND THEN WHEN WE DRAW THE MONEY DOWN FROM HUD, IT GOES BACK INTO THE BIG BANK ACCOUNT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. TRYING TO EXPLAIN IT IN LIKE A VERY KIND OF GENERAL WAY. UM, BUT EFFECTIVELY, YEAH. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. CAN WE GET A, OH, I'M SORRY, PERSON A SECOND. UM, ON THE REALLOCATION FOR FY 25, YOU SAID THAT IN THIS EMAIL THAT YOU'LL SUBMIT TO HUD, YOU'RE SAYING THAT, UM, THE COC WON'T REALLOCATE FUNDS, BUT THEN ON THIS LIKE UFA AUTHORITY THAT YOU MENTIONED, YOU COULD REALLOCATE FUNDS. SO I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE TELLING HOOD WE'RE NOT GONNA REALLOCATE FUNDS, YOU COULD LATER DO THAT AND IT WOULDN'T, IT WOULDN'T LIKE CONTRADICT THIS EMAIL TO THE METHOD. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. SO, UM, REALLOCATION, SO THE QUESTION, IF I BELIEVE IF ANYONE IN HERE WAS THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN REALLOCATING AS PART OF THE COC PROGRAM COMPETITION VERSUS REALLOCATING USING, UH, UNITED FUNDING AGENCY AUTHORITY. SO NOT EVERY CONTINUUM OF CARE CAN SHIFT OUTSIDE OF THE COMPETITION. UM, SO AS A DESIGNATED UNITED FUNDING AGENCY, AND THERE'S ONLY, I THINK THERE'S LESS THAN A COUPLE OF DOZEN IN THE UNITED STATES OF ALL COCS, LONG BEACH HAS THE AUTHORITY TO SHIFT FUNDS AND EVEN IN SOME ASPECTS, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, CREATE NEW PROJECTS USING THOSE FUNDS OUTSIDE OF THE COMPETITION. THE VAST MAJORITY OF CONTINUUM OF CARE CANNOT DO THAT. THE ONLY WAY THEY'RE ABLE TO REALLOCATE FUNDING IS FORMALLY THROUGH THE COMPETITION. SO HOW THAT WORKS IS, IT'S NOT ACTUALLY, LIKE IF YOU WERE TO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED DOLLARS AND I'M USING A HUNDRED DOLLARS A LOT, I JUST WISH I HAD A HUNDRED DOLLARS. UM, IF YOU WERE HAVE A HUNDRED DOLLARS AND YOU WERE TO SAY, I'M GONNA REALLOCATE $20 OF THAT, I WOULD GIVE YOU THAT $20, YOU BEING HUD AND I'D SAY, OKAY HUD, WE'RE GONNA REALLOCATE THIS $20 AND SO I'M GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT THIS NEW PROJECT WE WANT TO CREATE WITH THAT FUNDING. AND THEN I TELL YOU ABOUT IT AND THEN YOU SCORE AND THEN A FEW MONTHS LATER YOU SAY, YEAH, OKAY, HERE'S YOUR $20 BACK. BUT YOU COULD ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, EH, YOUR SCORE, YOUR PROJECT, I DON'T REALLY LIKE IT, WE'RE GONNA KEEP THAT $20 AND GIVE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE. SO THAT'S WHAT FORMAL REALLOCATION TO THE COMPETITION LOOKS LIKE. YOU'RE EFFECTIVELY GIVING UP MONEY AND THEN YOU'RE SAYING TO NOW, WE WANT THAT MONEY BACK TO OPERATE THIS OTHER PROJECT. THE WAY IT WORKS AS A UFA IS INSTEAD OF GETTING ONE CONTRACT HERE, THAT'S $20 AND ONE CONTRACT HERE, THAT'S $10 AND ONE CONTRACT HERE, THAT'S 50. AND YOU HAVE TO MANAGE ALL THOSE SEPARATELY. AND THIS PERSON THAT HAS THE $20 CONTRACT, THEY CAN ONLY DRAW FROM THAT $20. YOU CAN'T TOUCH ANY OF THAT OTHER MONEY. THEY ACTUALLY GIVE IT TO US AS A HUNDRED DOLLARS. AND THEY SAY THIS MUCH IS FOR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES. THIS MUCH IS RELEASING, THIS MUCH IS FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND THIS IS HOW MUCH EACH PROJECT IS SUPPOSED TO GET. BUT AS LONG AS YOU AGREE AS A AND AS A BOARD, AND AS LONG AS WE AGREE THAT YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING, ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS BASICALLY EMAIL US AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE GONNA SHIFT FUNDING FROM ONE PROJECT TO ANOTHER FROM ONE BUDGET LINE ITEM TO ANOTHER BECAUSE THIS PROJECT IS UNDER UTILIZING THIS PROJECT IS SERVING EVEN MORE PEOPLE AND THEY'RE HIGH PERFORMING. AND SO THEY JUST ALLOW YOU TO DO THAT WITHOUT GIVING UP THE MONEY FORMALLY. SO REALLOCATION THROUGH THE EMAIL IS EFFECTIVELY SAYING TO HUD, WE'RE NOT FORMALLY GIVING UP ANY MONEY THROUGH REALLOCATION TO REQUEST NEW PROJECTS. WE'RE JUST SAYING, UH, HEY RENEW ALL OF OUR PROJECTS AND THEN WE'LL USE OUR AUTHORITY AS A YOUTH A LATER TO SHIFT FUNDING AROUND AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S USED EFFECTIVELY. DOES THAT, HOPEFULLY THAT MAKES SENSE. YES, MAKES PERFECT. THANK YOU. QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? CAN WE DO A MOTION AND THEN WE'LL DO PUBLIC COMMENT RIGHT AFTER THAT? CAN WE MOTION? SECOND. SECOND. SO NIKKI AND JAMES, OKAY. ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WISH TO SPEAK ON THIS AGENDA ITEM, IF YOU CAN PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. OKAY. AND THEN YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. OKAY. GIMME ONE SECOND A QUESTION, AND I KNOW WE HAVE THE ANSWER. UM, UH, REGARDING LONG BEACH'S, C-O-C-U-F-A UFA STATUS, WHO DESIGNATED WHO DESIGNATES THAT AND IS THAT IN JEOPARDY AS WELL THAT THAT COULD BE REVOKED AS A CONCERN? [00:45:03] THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WISH TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEE NONE. OKAY. CAN WE GIVE A MOTION TO APPROVE BY SHOW OF HANDS, PAT? OH, SORRY. MAKING SURE , ANY NOTES? ANY, ANYBODY? SO MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, THE PRESENTATION WOULD BE , I KNOW THAT'S, IT'S BEEN A LOT, . YES, IT HAS. AND THEN WE DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK ON NON AGENDA ITEMS. UM, IF THERE'S ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON ANYTHING, CAN YOU PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND? SEE NONE. UM, ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE BOARD? NO. UH, WE DO HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM STAFF. UH, DANIEL BOFF HAS RESIGNED, UM, AS OF YESTERDAY, SO WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER OPEN SEAT ON THE BOARD HE CAN NO LONGER FULFILL. YEAH. SO THREE IS INSTEAD OF TWO? YES, CORRECT. UM, AND CURRENTLY WE DON'T HAVE ANY NEW APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE CAME IN. UM, WE DO HAVE SOME FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR THAT WERE SENT OUT THAT CAME IN. SO THAT'S ALL. I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT FIVE MEMBERS. SO WE, AS OF NOW WE'RE GOING OFF OF THAT. OKAY. AND , I'M SORRY, REMINDER, IS THAT CLOSE NEXT WEEK? UH UH, YES. I BELIEVE WE SAID THE 11TH. I HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE, I BELIEVE NEXT WEDNESDAY THAT CLOSES. SO ANYONE, IF YOU KNOW ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE BOARD, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AS WELL, UM, ANYBODY THAT KNOWS ANYONE INTERESTED IN A BOARD MEMBERSHIP, UH, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY WRITE SCREENING PROCESS. THE BOARD WILL DECIDE. UM, BUT PLEASE, UH, REACH OUT. YOU CAN REACH OUT TO OUR HOMELESS SERVICES ADMIN EMAIL, COME TO US IN PERSON AFTER THIS MEETING AND THEN WE'LL DISSEMINATE THE BOARD MEMBERS. UH, JUST A REMINDER. OKAY. THAT'S IT. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.