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CC 2020-12-08 Items Recd at MtgFrom:Janna Nichols To:public comment Subject:Agenda Item 9A Consideration of CDBG Block Grant Recommendations Date:Tuesday, December 08, 2020 5:52:22 PM Honorable Mayor and Council Members, I want to thank you for your consideration of our request as part of your CDBG considerations, under item 9.A. I am unable to be with you this evening due to a prior work commitment. As such, I would like to offer this written comment regarding our request. While 5CHC has strengthened its housing program to provide deposit and rental assistance (with supportive services) countywide for those who are homeless and facing homelessness, our core work remains in South County. Working with our community partners, 5CHC receives referrals from throughout the county to assist those who are in need of deposit assistance or are striving to prevent eviction and needing rental support. Most of this financial assistance for deposit and rent is funded through CDBG and Emergency Solutions Grants. This year, in addition to the CDBG funds we normally receive from the County, and some Cities, we have decided to apply to each jurisdiction that we serve, including the City of Arroyo Grande. Our request before you this evening focuses on providing emergency subsistence assistance (rent) for those who are at risk of losing their housing, and for deposit assistance to help those who are homeless to obtain housing. We couple the direct financial assistance with case planning, budget and financial coaching, and other supportive services. Through 10 months of this year, we have helped 19 homeless households from Arroyo Grande to move into housing, and 20 households with eviction prevention assistance; spending a total of $44,582 in direct financial assistance (apart from case management and other agency expenses). Most eviction prevention assistance has been limited this year, due to the eviction moratorium; however, these numbers are expected to grow in the coming months once the moratorium is lifted in January. And while there will be some CARES act funding available, not all families will qualify due to the COVID- related restrictions. The County's recommendation of our request (from its pool of funds), which has already been considered, is approximately $35,000 less than last year. This reduction will have a direct impact on the number of households we are able to serve, and I urge you to reconsider the staff recommendation. The City of San Luis Obispo, for example, has prioritized all of the CBDG Public Service funds available for homeless services, taking the competition out of their discretionary grant program. We appreciate your staff's work in preparing this report, and thank you for your consideration of our request. Should you have questions, or want to learn more of our programs, please contact me. Janna Nichols Executive Director 5Cities Homeless Coalition (805) 574-1638 Office (805) 471-7404 Cell Confidentiality Disclaimer: This e-mail message, including, but not limited to any attachments, is expressly meant for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. As such, any unauthorized dissemination, review, use, disclosure or distribution is therefore prohibited and may be construed as unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us by telephone immediately at (805) 574- 1638 or e-mail info@5chc.org to advise of erroneous delivery. Thank you for your compliance in this regard.