Budget committee forwards Hamilton Families amendment to extend rapid-rehousing grant

Supervisor Connie Chan, chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, moved May 8 to forward a resolution to the full Board that would authorize the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) to enter a second amendment with Hamilton Families to continue administration of the Housing Solutions rapid rehousing program.

Dylan Schneider, manager of legislative affairs at HSH, told the committee the amendment would extend the agreement's term through June 30, 2030, and increase the not-to-exceed amount by $12,300,000 for a total of $21,900,000. "Rapid rehousing is a time-limited rental subsidy that gradually decreases as the tenant stabilizes and finds housing outside of the homelessness response system," Schneider said, describing case management, landlord liaison services, subsidy administration and housing-focused supports funded by the agreement.

Nick Menard of the Budget and Legislative Analyst summarized the fiscal terms and funding mix, reporting that about 84% of the grant is financed by the general fund, roughly 9% by HUD Emergency Solutions Grant funding and approximately 6% by Prop C. The BLA flagged historical underspending of about $940,000 over the past three fiscal years and projected underspending this year in the low hundreds of thousands. The BLA recommended approval.

Committee members pressed HSH on how the city's support and federal rental subsidies would scale together. Schneider said the estimated annual cost per family under the agreement is about $40,000 and that federal funding is largely restricted to rental assistance, so additional city funds would be needed to expand case management and support services.

A Hamilton Families representative, Frank Dela Campo, offered a public-comment success story, describing a family who stabilized in housing and secured full-time employment after receiving program services.

Chair Chan's motion to forward the resolution passed on a roll call of Mandelmann, Melgar and Chan (3 ayes). The item will appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda for May 14, 2024.