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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 03202001 - HA.1 HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA TO: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FROM: Robert McEwan, Executive Director DATE: March 20, 2001 SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA TO EXECUTE THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND HUMAN SERVICES SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION I. RECOMMENDED ACTION: AUTHORIZE the Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa to execute the attached cooperative agreement between the Housing Authority and the County of Contra Costa Department of Employment and Human Services. II. FINANCIAL IMPACT: This is a non-financial agreement between the Housing Authority and the Department of Employment and Human Services. III. REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND The Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (hereinafter the Public Housing reform Act "PHRA") envisions that the Housing Authority, hereinafter Agency, and County, herein after County, will target services to families who receive housing assistance, and will work together to help these families to become self-sufficient. The Agency and County recognize significant overlap in the population receiving welfare assistance and living in public housing or receiving Section 8 tenant-based assistance and that these families have the potential to become economically self-sufficient when adequate supportive services are provided. Agency and County have developed this cooperative agreement to coordinate administrative practices and utilize the strengths of both agencies in the delivery of services thereby improving and reducing duplication of such services. Both agencies believe that information sharing is necessary to ensure efficient service and detect and deter participant fraud and program noncompliance. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE RECOMMENDATION OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON r, APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED_X OTHER VOTE OF COMMISSIONERS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE ABSENT: ABSTAIN: MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ON THE DATE SHOWN. ATTESTED Jona—SS=eo*en ',CLERK OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY DEPUTY li:\judyhmtz\MSOFFICE\WINWORD\BOARD\BO-Inter Agency Agreement.doc IV. CONSEQUENCES OF NEGATIVE ACTION: Should the Board of Commissioners elect not to AUTHORIZE the Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa to execute this cooperative agreement the Housing Authority could lose! an opportunity to partner with another agency to set common goals and mutually supporting practices in supporting the economic self sufficiency of welfare and Section 8 rental assistance participants. �Coritra Costa County - Number 21-721-0 Standard Form 1/96 INTERAGENCY NON-FINANCIAL Fund/Org # MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING Account 4 2310 1. Contract Identification Department: Employment and Human Services Subject: Information Sharing and Client Services Memorandum of Understanding 2. Parties. The County of Contra Costa, California (County), for its Department named above, and the following named Contractor mutually agree and promise as follows: Contractor: Contra Costa County Housing Authority Capacity: Public Agency Address: 3313 Estudillo Street, Martinez, CA 94553 3. Term. The effective date of this agreement is March 1,2001 and it terminates February 28, 2003 unless sooner terminated as provided herein. 4. Payment Limit. This is a non-financial agreement. 5. County's Obligations. County shall carry out that work described in the attached MOU incorporated herein by reference. 6. Agency's Obligations. Agency shall carry out that work described in the attached MOU incorporated herein by reference. 7. Independent Contractor Status. This agreement is between two independent contractors .and is not intended to and shall not be construed to create the relationship of agent, employee, partnership, joint venture, or association. 8. Legal Authority. This agreement is entered into under and subject to the legal authority of California Government Code Section 26227. 9. Signatures. These signatures attest the parties' agreement hereto: CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA CONTRA COSTA COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY By By Director, Employment and Human Services (Authorized Official of Agency) Date Date [Form approved by County Counsel] SERVICE PLAN NMWY.7= 'I_ :fps-,(_0 I. BACKGROUND The Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (hereinafter the Public Housing Reform Act "PHRA") envisions that the Housing Authority, hereinafter Agency, and County, herein after County, will target services to families who receive housing assistance, and will work together to help these families to become self-sufficient. The Agency and County recognize significant overlap in the population receiving welfare assistance and living in public housing or receiving Section 8 tenant-based assistance and that these families have the potential to become economically self-sufficient when adequate supportive services are provided. Agency and County agree that through coordinated administrative practices and utilization of the strengths of both agencies the delivery of services is improved and duplication of services is reduced. Both agencies believe that information sharing is necessary to ensure efficient service and detect and deter participant fraud and program noncompliance. II. PURPOSE OF MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU): The purpose of this MOU is to identify common goals for Agency and County to support the economic self-sufficiency efforts of low-income families receiving welfare assistance and living in public housing or receiving Section 8 tenant-based assistance. This is a Non-Financial Agreement that speaks to the responsibilities of each party as a partnership. Any financial commitments between the parties that are necessary to carry out this Agreement shall be addressed in separate financial contracts based on and in the spirit of implementing this Agreement. Agency and County agree to develop practices that: A. Target services and resources to families to help them achieve economic self-sufficiency; B. Coordinate and streamline administrative functions to ensure efficient delivery of services to families; and C. Reduce and discourage fraud and noncompliance with welfare and housing program requirements. III. TARGETING SERVICES AND RESOURCES Sec. 512(d)(7)(13.) of the Public Housing Reform Act (PHRA) and 24 CRF 5.613 states that housing authorities and .local welfare agencies should enter into cooperative agreements designed to target assistance and services to families receiving federal housing assistance. Agency and County agree to carry out this provision through targeting services and resources,to programs that support economic self- Initials: 1 Agency County Dept. f SERVICE PLAN Number 21- 721-0 sufficiency in low-income families receiving welfare assistance and living in public housing or receiving Section 8 tenant-based assistance. IV. COUNTY OBLIGATIONS. County agrees to the following: A. Case Management. Welfare-to-Work Plans to further employment and .career goals of participants and to provide employment-related workshops/job training for individuals and/or families receiving assistance and living in public housing or receiving Section 8 assistance for a time period agreed upon by County and Agency. 1. Childcare Services - Childcare for families receiving assistance and living in public housing or receiving Section 8 tenant-based assistance during their participation in employment-and training-related activities for a period agreed upon by County and Agency. 2. Transportation Services - Transportation where transportation is a barrier to the family's ability to obtain or retain work or to participate in other assigned welfare-to- work activities. This assistance may also include reimbursing costs of transporting children to school or childcare, when necessary for the parent to participate in their welfare-to-work activity. .3. Ancillary Services - Includes but is not limited to uniforms, tools, books, and supplies related to education/employment. B. Work Experience. Individuals not placed in jobs may be placed in education/ on-the job training programs to help them develop both "soft" and "hard" job skills. C. One-Stop Career Center Services. Job Seekers have access to a full range of resources to assist them in obtaining employment, including but not limited to: 1. Computers with resume writing and career assessment programs 2. Referral to job skills training 3. Job search workshops 4. Career counseling services 5. Internet access including career and job search information 6. Career Resource Library 7. Access to fax machines & copiers 8. Telephone access with local and regional phone books . Initials: 2 Agency County Dept. !I SERVICE PLAN Number 21- 721-0 V. AGENCY OBLIGATIONS. Agency agrees to the following: A. Send out timely notification and convene resident meetings to inform all public housing residents of all joint services provided by Agency and County to ensure that an adequate number of families are being serviced. B. Upon request and based on availability, the Agency will provide meeting space for employment-related workshops and/or services provided by County for families receiving assistance and living in public housing or receiving Section 8 assistance for a time period agreed upon by County and Agency. C. The Agency will continue to encourage families receiving assistance and living in public housing or receiving Section 8 assistance to participate in the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program. D. Agency agrees to make available Work Experience positions for County clients based on the Agency's ability to place the clients. Work Experience positions will not be filled to displace a regular Agency employee. VI. COORDINATING DELIVERY OF ASSISTANCE AND SERVICES It is the intent of the County and Agency to coordinate and streamline the delivery of services to joint recipients of assistance. This will include coordination of resources and program activities, identification of eligible participants, and-coordination of program eligibility verification. A. It is the intent of Agency and County to meet quarterly to identify areas of coordination to avoid duplication of service delivery and ways.to combine or maximize resources. VII. PROVIDING INFORMATION TO PROMOTE COMPLIANCE WITH WELFARE-TO- WORK AND HOUSING PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS The Public Housing Reform Act requires the Agency to obtain and verify information on families living in public housing or receiving Section 8 tenant-based assistance from welfare agencies for various specific purposes described below. It is the intent of Agency and County to work together to streamline and develop a uniform process to verify participant income and other information to determine program eligibility and program compliance. It is the intent of Agency and County to develop and define joint processes to address participant noncompliance, sanctioning of benefits, where clients have expired their CalWORKs grant, and participant appeals. Where Agency and County have a jointly developed processes, said processes shall be agreed upon by mutual consent. Initials: 3 Agency__ County Dept. r I • SERVICE PLAN Number 21- 721-0 This section may include but is not limited to streamlined collection and sharing of information to determine eligibility; streamlined verification methods,joint information to participants regarding program rules and regulations regarding fraud and program compliance; and, joint appeals process. Both County and Agency agree to the following: It is the intent of County and Agency to implement a jointly developed information-sharing process to help determine if a family in public housing or receiving Section 8 assistance is: A. Receiving welfare benefits/assistance so that supportive services can be targeted as provided by this Agreement. B. Eligible for a "disallowance of earned income from rent determination" due to increased income from employment during a 12-month period from employment onset through a phase-in of fifty percent of the total rent increase for the next 12-month period. . [Pursuant to PHRA, Sec. 508(d)] The eligible family must: 1. Reside in public housing; AND 2. Have experienced an increase in income as a result of employment of a member who was previously unemployed for one year or more; AND 3. Have experienced an increase in income during participation of a family member in any family self-sufficiency or other job-training program. 4. . Have or has, within six months, been ass isted'.under any State program for temporary assistance for needy families under.part A of title IV of the Social Security Act and whose earned income increases. C. Encourage Welfare To Work Compliance. If a family in public housing or receiving Section 8 assistance that has a decrease in income'may have their rent decreased. County will inform Agency of reduction or termination of a family's welfare benefits or assistance due to fraud or noncompliance with an economic self-sufficiency program or work activity requirement as defined in Sec. 512(d)(2)(A) and (3) - not including any reduction of benefits, due to an expiration of lifetime limit benefits. Initials: 4 Agency County Dept. 5 ' 1 SERVICE PLAN Number 21- 721-0 D. ' Determining Exemptions from Public Housing Community Service Requirements. If adult members of a family in public housing are exempt from Community Service because they are: 1. Engaged in a work activity (as such term is defined in section 407(d) of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 607 (d)], as in effect on and after July 1., 1.997. 2. Engaged in a work activity under the State program funded under Part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601, et seq.) or any other welfare program of the State in which the public housing agency is located, including a State- administered welfare-to-work program; or, 3. Receiving assistance under a State program funded under Part A of Title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et. seq.) or any other welfare programs, and has not been found by the state or other administering entity to be in noncompliance with such program. 4. Full-time student. 5. Found to be permanently disabled and unable to work as defined by the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et. seq.). E. Information Sharing. Agency and County release relevant information to either party regarding all areas stated above. This process may include joining definition of terms used in verification and will take into account all applicable privacy considerations. Agency will phase in obtaining releases of information from Authority clients at point of annual re- certification over an eighteen (18) month period from the date.of this MO U. VIII. MODIFICATIONS AND AMENDMENTS. A General Amendments. This Contract may be modified or amended by a written document executed by the Contractor and the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors or, after Board approval, by its designee, subject to any required State;or Federal approval. IX. CONFIDENTIALITY. Contractor agrees to comply and to require its officers, partners, associates, agents and employees to comply with all applicable State or Federal statutes or regulations respecting confidentiality, including but not limited to, the identity of persons served under this Contract, their records, or services provided them, and assures that: Initials: 5 Agency County Dept. SERVICE PLAN Number 21- 721-0 A. All applications and records concerning any individual made or kept by Contractor or any public officer or agency in connection with the administration of or relating to services provided under this Contract will be confidential, and will not be open to examination for any purpose not directly connected with the administration of such service. B. No person will publish or disclose or permit or cause to be published or disclosed, any list of persons receiving services, except as may be required in the administration of such service. Contractor agrees to inform all employees, agents and partners of the above provisions, and that any person knowingly and intentionally disclosing such information other than as authorized by law may be guilty of a misdemeanor. X. TERMINATION A. Written Notice. This Contract may be terminated by either party, at their sole discretion, upon thirty-day advance written notice thereof to the other, and may be canceled immediately by written mutual consent. B. Cessation of Funding. Notwithstanding Paragraph 5.a. above, in the event that Federal, State, or other non-County funding for this Contract ceases, this Contract is terminated without notice' XI. MUTUAL INDEMNIFICATION. Agency shall defend, indemnify, and save harmless the County of Contra Costa, and its officers, agents and employees from any and all liability and claims for damages for sickness, death, .or injury to person(s) or property, including without limitation all consequential damages, from any cause whatsoever arising from or connected with the operations or services of the Agency hereunder, resulting from the conduct, negligent or otherwise, of Agency, its agents, servants, employees or..subcontractors hereunder. County shall defend, save harmless and indemnify Agency and its officers, agents and employees from all liabilities and claims for damages for death, sickness or injury to persons or property, including without limitation, all consequential damages, from any cause whatsoever arising from or connected with the operations or the services of County of Contra Costa hereunder, resulting from the conduct, negligent or otherwise, of County of Contra Costa, its agent, servants, employees or subcontractors hereunder. XII. INSURANCE. Both parties are self-insured. No other insurance is required. Initials: 6 Agency County Dept. 1.