Laserfiche WebLink
REPORT <br />To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From the City Manager <br /> <br />November 16, 2015 <br /> <br />SUBJECT <br />Human Services Financial Assistance Program Endowment and Funding <br />Recommendation <br /> <br />RECOMMENDATION <br />Approve by resolution the recommendations from the Housing and Human Concerns <br />Committee to: <br />1) Allocate $100,000 each year for FY 15-16 and FY 16-17 for the Human Services <br />Financial Assistance (HSFA) Program Grants; and re-evaluate funding levels for future <br />years based on size of the HSFA Endowment; and <br />2) Continue to focus HSFA funding on Basic Human Needs Criteria. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br />Redwood City’s Human Services Financial Assistance (HSFA) Program has a long <br />standing history having existed for over 35 years prior to the program’s phasing out due <br />to budget constraints in Fiscal Year 2013-2014. <br /> <br />At its meeting on June 8, 2015, Council directed staff to establish a $1 million HSFA <br />Endowment in the FY 2015-2016 budget while at the same time challenging community <br />partners to match this seed funding to reach a target of $2 million. <br /> <br />Council asked to have the Housing and Human Concerns committee work on re- <br />establishing the program with a recommendation to Council regarding the amount of <br />funding per year given the goal of creating a $2 million endowment. <br /> <br />ANALYSIS <br />Although the goal for the HSFA Endowment is $2 million, the HHCC recognizes that at <br />this juncture, only $1 million has actually been committed for the program. As such, the <br />HHCC felt it would be premature to recommend an allocation of more than $100,000 <br />per year for the first two years of implementation of the revived HSFA Program. As <br />funds are raised for the endowment, the HHCC would hope to be able to recommend <br />increased funding levels for future years. <br /> <br />While HSFA funding over the 35 years of history of the program initially included funding <br />for a broad range of human services including emergency assistance, housing <br />programs, services for older adults and persons with disabilities, youth programs, and <br />6.3.A. - Page 1