To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and Board of Commissioners of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Community Development Commission
Staff Name and Phone Number: Martha Cheever, (707) 565-7521
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Authorize Agreement for Software Development for Centralized Housing Location (CHL) Services
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Authorize the Executive Director of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission, or designee, to enter into a three-year agreement with the option of two, one-year renewals with Padmission, LLC to develop a centralized housing location software solution for a total not-to-exceed amount of $150,000.
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Executive Summary:
The Board of Supervisors has prioritized the need to expand opportunities for affordable housing in Sonoma County. To that end, the Sonoma County Community Development Commission (“Commission”) is developing a robust Centralized Housing Location (CHL) program to expand the availability of private market rentals that can be made affordable through rental assistance programs.
An initial step in standing up a CHL program is the development of an easy to use, high-functioning software program that will enable voucher holders to easily identify available units that meet their needs. Following a Request for Proposals process, Commission staff recommends Padmission, LLC as the organization best able to provide a software platform that meets the needs of the housing location program and benefits recipients of rental assistance, area property managers/owners, and area supportive service providers.
Based on Request for Proposals process Commission staff is seeking authorization to enter into a three-year agreement with the option of two, one-year renewals with Padmission, LLC for landlord engagement and housing search assistance software with a not-to-exceed amount of $150,000.
Discussion:
The Sonoma County Housing Authority has a total of 3,278 rental assistance vouchers that enable low-income residents to rent units in the private rental market at affordable rates. Many recipients of rental assistance vouchers struggle to navigate the competitive housing market in Sonoma County. In order to expand housing options for recipients of rental assistance, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors recently awarded American Rescue Plan Act funds for the development of a CHL program (“Program”).
An important first step in standing up this new Program is the creation of a housing search database that will be user-friendly for voucher holders, property managers/owners, and supportive service providers. The Program will be available for service providers and voucher holders who are participating in programs with either the Sonoma County Housing Authority, the Santa Rosa Housing Authority, or programs ran through area non-profit organizations.
In June 2022, the Commission released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking the development of interactive, web-based software that would make the process of finding an affordable rental unit easier for voucher holders. In response to the RFP, three proposals were received. Proposals were reviewed and ranked by Commission staff representing the Housing Authority and the Continuum of Care. Padmission, LLC was the highest ranked respondent.
Padmission, LLC offers developed software that is actively being utilized by 19 homeless service organizations, including Bakersfield Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative and across the country, for landlord engagement and housing search assistance for persons receiving rental assistance. This software will assist our community in improving and systematizing our landlord engagement efforts, as well as offer rental assistance recipients a modern tool to rapidly locate available properties.
Features of this software include:
• The ability for Property Managers and Housing Locators to list properties with images, amenities, floor plans, pets, etc.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) functionality to track Property Manager engagements and provide proactive landlord contacts
• Interactive map search
• Holding available units back from the general population to provide an opportunity for service providers to place hard-to-house persons
• Reports to track community engagement efforts including how frequently property managers access the software, to track unit listings, and to track the number of home seekers utilizing the software
• Unlimited users making the software accessible for all members of our community
Staff recommend that the Executive Director of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission, or designee, be authorized to enter into a three-year agreement with the option of two, one-year renewals with Padmission, LLC for landlord engagement and housing search assistance software with a not-to-exceed amount of $150,000.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan by leading to more at-risk Sonoma County residents securing housing. It is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Healthy and Safe Communities
Goal: Goal 4: Reduce the County’s overall homeless population by 10% each year by enhancing services through improved coordination and collaboration.
Objective: Objective 4: Create a housing resource tool for Safety Net departments to efficiently assist residents with accessing available housing by 2022.
Prior Board Actions:
July 12, 2022: The Board preliminarily approved American Rescue Plan Act funds for a CHL program.
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY 22-23 Adopted |
FY 23-24 Projected |
FY 24-25 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
$50,000 |
$50,000 |
$50,000 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
$50,000 |
$50,000 |
$50,000 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
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Fees/Other |
$50,000 |
$50,000 |
$50,000 |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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Contingencies |
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|
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Total Sources |
$50,000 |
$50,000 |
$50,000 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Appropriations for this item are available in the FY 2022-23 budget and will be included in future budgets. Funding from the American Rescue Plan Act allocated by the Board on July 12, 2022, will support the costs of the software.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
None
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A