County authorizes negotiations to build a flexible housing subsidy pool with HB 5019 funds

County staff told the Board of Commissioners that Benton County's notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for a flexible housing subsidy pool under House Bill 5019 drew five proposals; none covered every element of the program on its own. April Holland and project manager Rebecca Taylor described the NOFO components, including an estimated $1.12 million in HB 5019 rapid-rehousing funds intended to rehouse about 31 households by the following June, with up to $360,000 for case management and $80,000 for outreach.

Staff asked for authorization to enter negotiations with the top-scoring applicants and for delegated authority for the assistant county administrator (or designee) to finalize awards. Rebecca Taylor said staff envision a county matchmaker role to knit together services from multiple providers, leveraging an initial pool of one-time funds to create a coordinated program rather than several parallel programs.

Commissioners endorsed the approach, asking for a clearer visual of how program components would fit together; staff said flowcharts and infographics are in development. The board authorized negotiations and delegated final award authority to the assistant county administrator.

Next steps: staff will negotiate scopes with chosen applicants, execute awards under delegated authority, and return to the board with implementation details and performance expectations.