Amendment to Baltimore City Annual Action Plan: July 24, 2020

PUBLIC NOTICE

July 24, 2020

BALTIMORE CITY, MARYLAND

AMENDMENT TO ANNUAL ACTION PLAN FOR LOCAL FISCAL YEAR 2020/FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR 2019

Dear Community Partners,

Notice is hereby given that the City of Baltimore’s Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services (MOHS) is proposing, in accordance with regulations governing the consolidated planning process, to amend the Annual Action Plan for Local Fiscal Year 2020/Federal Fiscal Year 2019.

This is the second amendment to the Annual Action Plan for Local Fiscal Year 2020/Federal Fiscal Year 2019 to allow the use of special Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program funds allocated to the City of Baltimore through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Public Law 116-136 in conjunction to the first amendment posted on June 25, 2020. The combination of special ESG-CV 1 and ESG-CV 2 funds are to be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) among individuals and families who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance; and to support additional homeless assistance and homelessness prevention activities to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. MOHS is consulting with the Department of Housing and Community Development to strategically allocate ESG-CV 1 and ESG-CV 2 funds given other additional CARES Act funding, such as Community Development Block Grant Program funds. MOHS is moving forward with the substantial amendment given the nature of the pandemic to quickly allocate funding to support relief, prevention, and response efforts, however is intentionally working with the Baltimore City Continuum of Care around system planning and implementing funds.

On June 9, 2020 the City of Baltimore was notified of the second allocation of Emergency Solutions Grant COVID (ESG-CV 2) funds in the amount of $9,143,757. These funds, along with the first allocation totals to $15,715,495 will be managed by the City of Baltimore’s Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services. The ESG-CV 1 and ESG-CV 2 funds will be allocated for the proposed project activities in response to COVID-19 listed below that include rapid re-housing, homeless prevention, emergency shelter, street outreach, HMIS, and administrative activities. Allocations will include, but are not limited to project responses due to COVID-19, such as expanding project capacity, reimbursing providers for emergency related supplies (i.e. personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies), medical related expenses, and increased food costs. In addition, MOHS is committed to ensuring that homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring, therefore an emphasis on rapid re-housing and homeless prevention activities will be implemented.

I. Estimated 45 – 50 percent allocated to Rapid Re-housing activities.

II. Estimated 20 – 25 percent allocated to Homelessness Prevention activities.

III. Estimated 15 - 20 percent allocated to Emergency Shelter activities.

IV. Estimated 5 - 10 percent allocated to Street Outreach activities.

V. Less than 3 percent allocated to HMIS activities.

VI. Less than 7 percent allocated to Administration activities, such as general management, oversight, coordination, and reporting on the program.

For further information regarding the above amendment, please email Paroma Nandi or call 443-853-0079. Any comments regarding these changes may be submitted in writing to Paroma Nandi at the above email address. Summaries of comments received, and actions taken on comments, will be included in the final amendment submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The deadline for comment submittal is Monday, July 31, 2020.