Subject:
Title
Approval, Re: Housing and Human Services Department Emergency Rental Assistance Policy ($18,176,052.60)
End
Fiscal Impact:
FY 20-21: There will be no impact to the General Fund. Approximately $18,176,052.60 in Federal funds will be deposited in Fund 1493, Cost Center 315136 for use for this program.
FY21-22: There will be no impact to the General Fund. These federal dollars span multiple County Fiscal Years and remaining funds will be carried over in the same Fund and Cost Center.
Dept/Office:
Housing and Human Services
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested that the Board of County Commissioners provide direction and authorize the Chair to sign the Housing and Human Services Department Policy for Emergency Rental Assistance upon approval of the County Attorney’s Office and Risk Management.
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Summary Explanation and Background:
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (ACT) was signed into law by President Trump on December 27, 2020. Included in the $2.3 trillion bill was an additional $900 billion in stimulus relief for the COVID-19 pandemic. The new stimulus included an allocation of $25 billion for rental payment assistance. Under the legislation, counties with populations above 200,000 residents are eligible to receive direct payments from the United States Department of the Treasury.
The attached draft policy establishes a procedure for assisting residents of Brevard County and provides written guidelines, to be utilized by the Housing and Human Services Department and Municipalities that participate, to ensure that expenditures of funds comply with applicable regulations, requirements, and maintains public trust. The purpose of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is to provide financial assistance and housing stability services to income eligible households for rent, rental arrears, utilities and home energy costs, utilities and home energy costs arrears, and other expenses related to housing incurred due, directly or indirectly, to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.
The Act specifies many of the parameters for the program (for example: the use of funds, priority areas, income levels, eligibility, etc.) and the Policy includes language that will automatically incorporate any additional direction, guidance, or clarification from the United States Department of the Treasury. However, there is an aspect of the Policy that requires Board of County Commissioner (Board) direction, specifically the Act identifies (Title V, Subtitle A, Section 501 (c)(2)(C)(i)(I) - Distribution of Financial Assistance) that the eligible grantee (Brevard County) “…shall make payments to a lessor or utility provider on behalf of the eligible household, except that, if the lessor or utility provider does not agree to accept such payment from the grantee after outreach to the lessor or utility provider by the grantee, the grantee may make such payments directly to the eligible household for the purpose of making payments to the lessor or utility provider.” (emphasis added)
The Housing and Human Services Department (Department) does not currently provide direct payments to eligible households under any other program and is seeking input from the Board regarding allowing it under the ERAP. The Department will revise the draft policy based upon the Board decision and then facilitate the Chair signing the final document in an expeditious manner.
Clerk to the Board Instructions:
None