Pasadena Seeks More Funds to Fight Family Homelessness

The City of Pasadena is hoping to secure more state funding to continue its efforts to prevent family homelessness in the community. 

The City Council authorized City Manager Miguel Márquez on Monday to apply for a second round of grants from the Family Homelessness Challenge (FHC), a program launched by the State of California in 2022 to address the growing crisis of homeless families.

The FHC program provides flexible funding to local governments to design and implement innovative solutions to reduce family homelessness and increase housing stability. 

In the first round of the program, Pasadena received $17 million from the state, which it used to partner with Door of Hope, a local nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive services to homeless and at-risk families.

With the FHC funds, Door of Hope expanded its homelessness prevention program, which offers case management and financial assistance to families with minor children who are facing eviction or other housing emergencies. Since June 2022, the program has helped 91 families stay in their homes and avoid falling into homelessness.

The City is now seeking an additional $787,500 from the state to extend and enhance the program for another four years. If awarded, the funds will allow Door of Hope to serve up to 190 more families in Pasadena, providing them with tailored support and resources to achieve long-term housing stability.

The deadline for submitting the application for the second round of FHC funding is Tuesday, February 27. The state is expected to announce the award recipients by April 29. The FHC program will end on June 30, 2026.

The City Council approved the application and the contract amendment with Door of Hope as part of its consent calendar, a routine agenda item that does not require public discussion or debate. The Council expressed its support for the City’s efforts to combat family homelessness, which affects more than 300 families in Pasadena, according to the latest homeless count.

Here are the other items that passed on Monday’s consent calendar:

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Pasadena and the Pasadena Police Supervisors Association, for the term of February 26, 2024, through June 30, 2028. The Pasadena Police Supervisors Association represents fourteen full-time employees in the civilian classifications of Police Supervisor and Forensic Supervisor. The Pasadena Police Supervisors Association is a newly formed employee association whose terms and conditions of employment were formerly provided for in the Non-represented Management salary resolution. Therefore, the provisions of the Non-represented Management salary resolution served as the starting point for the negotiation of the Pasadena Police Supervisors Association’s first MOU. Negotiations for the Pasadena Police Supervisors Association MOU began on September 18, 2023, and the parties reached a tentative agreement on a new multi-year contract on January 12, 2024. The proposed 4-year agreement will have a term of February 26, 2024, through June 30, 2028.

• A resolution to authorize the pre-tax treatment of cost-sharing contributions paid by members of the Pasadena Police Supervisors Association to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System. Internal Revenue Code Section 414(h)(2) allows public agencies to designate required employee contributions as being “picked-up” by the employer and treated as employer contributions for tax purposes. The effect of a pick-up is to defer tax on employee contribution amounts until the member retires and receives retirement benefits or separates from employment and takes a refund of contributions.

• A contract with Gallup, Inc. for Employee Engagement services and survey for a total amount not to exceed $167,750 over a three-year term with the option to extend the contract by two optional one-year extension periods. The value of each optional one-year extension period is not to exceed $44,250. The Human Resources Department and Enterprise Risk Management Division of the City Manager’s Office are preparing to launch a comprehensive Employee Engagement Program. This program will facilitate honest communication between staff and management, which promotes a collaborative and supportive atmosphere while building a culture of inclusion and belonging. This supports the department’s mission to attract, retain, and develop a diverse and highly qualified workforce for the City of Pasadena.

• A contract with LinkedIn for an online employee training platform/learning library for a total amount not to exceed $141,615 over a three-year term. The Human Resources Department administers the citywide training program to ensure that employees have the opportunity to improve, maintain and develop needed competencies to provide efficient and effective services to the public. In order to support multiple styles of adult learning and reach as many employees as possible, training typically is delivered through traditional “live” classes as well as an on-demand online library. An online training platform solution offers a robust collection of business, technology, and leadership courses that employees can access anytime, at their own pace. This supports the department’s mission to attract, retain, and develop a diverse and highly qualified workforce for the City of Pasadena.

• A $249,810 contract for consultant services to develop Safe Streets for All Action Plan by conducting an outreach campaign and updating the existing Local Roadway Safety Plan. In September 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a notice of funding opportunity for the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant program with up to $1 billion available in fiscal year 2022 for local, regional, and tribal agencies to enhance roadway safety. The SS4A grant program is divided into two grant opportunities, action plan grants and implementation grants. The action plan grant is intended for agencies to develop a holistic, well-defined strategy to prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries. The implementation grant is intended to fund projects and strategies identified in an action plan. The City applied for and was awarded funds to develop an Action Plan. The City was awarded $200,000 with a $50,000 local match to be expended in the next one to three years.

• A $2.7 million contract with Williams Pipeline Contractors Inc. The Water and Power Department regularly installs water mains to replace aging pipelines and to improve system reliability and water quality. The Water and Power Department uses both in-house staff and contractors to perform the installation of mainlines, to modify the water distribution system for new developments, and to provide regular maintenance and repairs to ruptured pipelines. In addition to replacing older mains, maintenance on the distribution system is critical for prolonging the life of the existing mains.

• A five-year, $185,000 contract with Morgan Stanley Institutional Investment Advisors LLC DBA Hyas Group for financial advisor services related to the City’s Deferred Compensation Program in an amount not-to-exceed $185,000 for five years. The City of Pasadena’s 457(b) The Deferred Compensation Committee oversees deferred Compensation plan. The Committee consists of five members: three members elected by City employees and two members appointed by the City Council. The financial advisor provides assistance to the Committee, by reviewing the investment portfolio on a quarterly basis to ensure performance within the parameters of the plan’s investment policy.

• An application and an amended five-year plan for the expenditure of the City’s grant award of permanent local housing allocation funding, as set forth in this report and as required by the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) Program provides local jurisdictions with formula grants from the Building Homes and Jobs Act Trust Fund on an annual basis. The formula grants can be used for eligible housing and homelessness activities. For the five-year period from Fiscal Year 2020 to Fiscal Year 2024, the City’s allocation is $5,251,211. The purpose of the PLHA program is to provide a permanent source of funding to local jurisdictions to help meet the unmet need for affordable housing and increase the supply of affordable housing units.

• A contract with West Coast Arborists, Inc. for Citywide Tree Maintenance Services not exceeding $15,000,000 over a five-year term. The Public Works Department is responsible for maintaining approximately 60,000 City trees. The City’s Urban Forestry Division performs a variety of tree maintenance activities, including but not limited to planting, trimming, removal, stump grinding, and emergency response to fallen trees and limbs. The Division manages these tasks with a combination of in-house crews and contracted services. The proposed contract with West Coast Arborists, Inc. will provide the necessary resources to continue these essential services.