Department: County Administration
Department Head/Elected Official: David Berry, County Administrator
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Financial Authorization
Project ID (if applicable): Job No 210317
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): American Institute for Research
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): 20%
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal is not 0% and is listed above
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by the Office of County Administration for approval of an order authorizing the expenditure of funds in the amount of $652,968.39 for evaluation consulting services, as a subaward of the agreement with American Institute for Research under Job No. 210317, MWDBE Contracted Goal: 20%.
end
Background and Discussion:
Due to the COVID-19 crisis and the threat to public health and safety of the homeless population, the Community COVID Housing Program (CCHP), a continued coordinated and large-scale community homeless housing initiative, was developed. CCHP seeks to permanently house people who are currently experiencing homelessness (e.g., living in shelters, encampments or on the streets) as well as those who may fall into homelessness because of the economic effects of the pandemic. This program is administered by the Coalition for the Homeless, which serves as the leader of the homeless response system for Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery Counties.
The second phase of this program, CCHP 2.0, began July 2022 with a joint contribution of $100 million from the City and the County to house an additional 7,000 people experiencing homelessness by December 2024. A condition for funding from Harris County includes an independent evaluation of CCHP’s implementation and outcomes.
CCHP 2.0 Goals:
• Working to end unsheltered homelessness by expanding crisis housing capacity with a Navigation Center and addressing large encampments with specialized outreach teams dedicated to that effort.
• Investing in permanent housing infrastructure for persons exiting homelessness by expanding permanent housing options and identifying new resources for clients needing a higher level of care.
• Strengthening the safety net of housing and services for people experiencing a housing crisis by forging partnerships and aligning strategies across other public systems, e.g., criminal justice, behavioral health, child welfare, education, workforce development, etc.
Harris County is additionally looking to invest American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding towards effective reentry programs. Half of the individuals released from prison tend to be re-incarcerated within 3 years. People exiting jail and prison face a broad array of challenges that make it difficult to build a stable life and avoid criminal activity. On average, they tend to have limited education and work experience, high rates of mental illness, substance abuse disorder and high rates of homelessness.
Despite the numerous challenges faced by this population, they often do not receive follow up services upon release from jail or prison and fall into a recurring cycle of negative outcomes. This cycle results in high costs across agencies and service providers, posing a serious burden on the public budget.
Reentry program goals:
• Invest in data-driven and evidence-based policies that will help reduce recidivism and create pathways to a stable life, including housing.
• Identify, collect, and analyze data that will enable a better understanding of the characteristics, risks and needs of the County’s justice involved population
Consulting proposals were requested from vendors previously selected under Job No. 210317 and evaluated by a cross-functional selection committee. American Institute for Research proposed a two-year engagement as detailed in the attachment and was selected by the committee.
Expected Impact:
The evaluator will identify metrics to capture disparities in who enters the system and specific programs, the level of service they receive, and their likelihood of achieving positive outcomes. Data analysis will track progress of individuals and families are making in addressing barriers and preparing for stable life, even if they do not immediately obtain permanent housing.
Alternative Options: Continue existing process improvement efforts with internal resources only, at reduced pace and scope vs. this accelerated approach.
Alignment with Goal(s):
_x Justice and Safety
_ x Economic Opportunity
_ x Housing
_ Public Health
_ Transportation
_ Flooding
_ Environment
_ Governance and Customer Service
Prior Court Action (if any):
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
3/22/22 |
22-2097 |
Approval of contract awards for applied research and data analysis, strategic planning and management strategies, and other services. |
|
|
|
|
Location:
Address (if applicable):
Precinct(s): Countywide
|
Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
|
Service Name |
CCHP and Reentry Evaluation Services |
|
|
SFY 22 |
FY 23 |
Next 3 FYs |
|
Incremental Expenditures (do NOT write values in thousands or millions) |
|
Labor Expenditures |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Non-Labor Expenditures |
$ |
$339,566 |
$313,401 |
|
Total Incremental Expenditures |
$ |
$339,566 |
$313,401 |
|
Funding Sources (do NOT write values in thousands or millions) |
|
Existing Budget |
|
Other |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Current Budget |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Additional Budget Requested |
|
Other |
$ |
$339,566 |
$313,401 |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Additional Budget Requested |
$ |
$339,566 |
$313,401 |
|
Total Funding Sources |
$ |
$339,566 |
$313,401 |
|
Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new PCNs) |
|
Current Position Count for Service |
- |
- |
- |
|
Additional Positions Requested |
- |
- |
- |
|
Total Personnel |
- |
- |
- |
Anticipated Court Date: September 13th 2022
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date):
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: COVID-19 related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Sarah Williams, Pandemic Recovery Manager, Office of County Administration
Attachments (if applicable): Request Order for the evaluation services, scope of services, BAFO, and MWBE commitment form