10a - Laserfiche WebLink

Chairperson Galvin questioned if Habitat was still having difficulty finding contractors and whether Habitat continued to offer volunteer opportunities. Ms. Gray indicated they had a good roster of contractors to do work throughout the three county areas they service, and they can keep them busy if they will not mind the government paperwork required to receive funds. She advised that volunteer opportunities may be available on other projects in areas like Oakland, Walnut Creek, and San Jose. Chairperson Galvin closed the meeting for agency presentations. Ms. Beckett from Centro Legal advised she was able to obtain information about the numbers served that Commissioner Fischer had requested. She stated that from January 1 through December 31, 2021 their teams in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties had provided 981 tenants with counsel and advice, and with extended services representation the number totaled 1,065. Chairperson Galvin questioned if attorney time was donated, and Ms. Beckett advised it was not and attorneys are paid through grants received. Chairperson Galvin questioned if commissioners had further questions before he asked for a motion. Mr. Hernandez informed commissioners that staff's funding recommendation could be found on pages three and four of the staff report. Commissioner Soby questioned why the Goodness Village funding request had received a significantly reduced funding recommendation from staff versus other requests. Mr. Hernandez stated that it was because the Goodness Village program was a pilot program with no record to show how successful it will be. He noted that the village has been open for less than a year, and if successful in the future, staff would recommend increased funding. Commissioner Soby asked Mr. Hernandez to explain how staff arrived at the $40,000 funding amount being recommended. Mr. Hernandez indicated that staff had taken into consideration the number of Pleasanton residents housed being approximately 20% of the entire population of twenty-eight residents and thought somewhere close to 30% of their request should be recommended. He noted that since putting the staff report together the number of Pleasanton residents at Goodness Village had increased from five to seven. Commissioner Soby confirmed with Mr. Hernandez that funding for this project would be coming from the Lower Income Housing Fund, and Mr. Hernandez noted that this program would not qualify for federal HOME funds so funds could not be taken from one of the other projects to increase funding for this one. Commissioner Soby indicated he was comfortable with the staff recommended funding amount but felt this was a good program needing to be given more consideration in the future because it is providing direct homes for the homeless. Commissioner Kripalani felt the commission had received reports from some fine organizations but was having difficulty judging the impact of programs based on the amount of money being spent and whether funding recommendations needed to be changed. He stated all are fine organizations, but he was struggling on what is a good strategy and what the strategic direction should be. Mr. Hernandez felt Pleasanton was fortunate to have the eight agencies providing distinct services all of which relate to affordable housing and have described the amount of time they spend with clients trying to prevent housing displacement or find housing for them. He noted that Pleasanton only partially funds the programs, and the agencies need to apply for grants from other jurisdictions, corporate sponsors, and individual donors to administer their programs for a 12-month period annually. Chairperson Galvin indicated he has had a chance to witness firsthand the work some of the agencies are providing, which sometimes includes writing a check to a landlord, and felt all of them were worthwhile of receiving funding. He further discussed the work of the commission and the recommendation they will be making to City Council, as well as the work of staff and staffs connection Housing Commission March 17,2022 Page 7 of 10