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Board directs $1 million per supervisor district from former FEMA/ARPA reserve, sets public process for remainder
Summary
Facing possible state and federal cuts to social-safety net programs, the Board directed allocation of $1 million per supervisor district from the county'held former COVID FEMA reserve and asked staff to design a public outreach process for remaining funds and return in August with recommendations.
After an extended debate and extensive public comment from nonprofit providers, volunteers and residents, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on June 24 approved a motion to allocate $1,000,000 to each supervisor district from the unallocated portion of a former COVID/FEMA reserve funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) planning. The board also asked county staff to design and launch a rapid public engagement process that will inform recommendations for the remaining unallocated ARPA/FEMA reserve funding, and to return with a report at the board's August meeting.
Why it matters: County leaders said federal and state proposals under consideration could reduce Medicaid/Medi-Cal, SNAP (CalFresh), and other support programs. Nonprofits and service providers told the board they are already experiencing higher demand for emergency rental and food assistance and warned of a sharp increase in need if federal or state cuts are enacted.
What the board agreed: - The board voted unanimously to allocate $1,000,000 to each of the five supervisorial districts (a total of $5,000,000) from the previously designated COVID FEMA reserve (funds originally set aside while the county awaited federal FEMA reimbursements and completed ARPA compliance work). - The board instructed the County Administrator's Office to convene a public outreach strategy (town halls, online input portal and district-level meetings) and to report back with a plan and recommended uses for the remaining unallocated funds by the August 5 board meeting. The board signaled priorities raised by members and the public: emergency rental and rapid rehousing assistance, food security, youth and young-adult transitional housing, and a community'managed collective-care fund.
Fiscal background: The county previously placed roughly $37.6 million into a designated reserve (the COVID/FEMA reserve) after exercising budgetary maneuvers while awaiting FEMA reimbursements and to protect ARPA allocations from regulatory risk. When the board budget was adopted earlier in 2025 it directed part of that reserve be placed into contingency; the new action draws $5 million from the larger reserve for district-level allocations and directs the CAO to design an outreach and distribution plan for the remaining unallocated balance (approximately $9.7 million available for countywide allocation, subject to audit and final accounting).
Public comment and priorities: Dozens of nonprofit leaders, volunteers and residents urged immediate investments in rental assistance and food security, with multiple speakers from St. Vincent de Paul, White Pony Express, Loaves and Fishes, Monument Impact and other groups telling the board they are already turning away people in need. Youth advocates urged dedicated funding for transition-age youth housing and supports. Participants described measurable program success for emergency rental assistance and rapid rehousing and appealed to the board to use available local funds to prevent a spike in homelessness if state or federal benefits are reduced.
Next steps: The board asked staff to prepare an August 5 return presentation that will: - List current county programs and available funding that can be expanded immediately (for example emergency rental assistance contracts and food security channels), - Outline options for district-level disbursements (the $1M per district allocations), - Present a proposed countywide outreach process (online portal + district town halls) and estimated costs for translation and accessibility, and - Provide options for countywide allocations from remaining funds with suggested evaluation criteria (e.g., immediate impact on housing stability; ability to leverage state/federal funds; equity priorities).
Board rationale in brief: Supervisors said they wanted to balance urgency (helping residents now) and prudence (preserving funds in case state or federal cuts require a larger backfill). The $1M-per-district allocation gives supervisors immediate, localized resources, while the public process and August return will let the county target remaining funds in a data-driven way.
Ending note: The board's motion seeks to speed support to neighborhoods while giving the public a structured role in recommending how the remaining reserve be spent; staff will return with a public-engagement plan and concrete spending options in early August.
