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Stockton council OKs $415,000 amendment to expand tenant–landlord counseling and mediation
Summary
Council approved a contract amendment with Project Sentinel to add tenant–landlord counseling and dispute-resolution services, increasing the contract to a not-to-exceed $415,000, and directed staff to ensure equitable outreach and program metrics.
The Stockton City Council unanimously approved an amendment on March 3 to a contract with Project Sentinel that expands the nonprofit’s scope to include tenant–landlord counseling and dispute-resolution services.
Economic development staff described Project Sentinel’s existing phone-based intake work and said the amendment adds roughly $200,000 to an existing $215,000 contract for a total not to exceed $415,000. The change includes hiring a full-time bilingual conflict-resolution specialist, opening up to 100 extensive counseling and dispute-resolution cases, and a community outreach plan that includes distributing brochures and holding educational presentations.
"We are currently under contract and have been since May '25," economic development director Tina McCarty said. She and a Project Sentinel organizer told council the group had already fielded substantial calls and had printed multilingual brochures and was ramping up outreach.
Councilmembers pressed for specifics: where a Stockton satellite office would be located, how bilingual services would be provided, how outreach would be distributed across districts for equity, and what success metrics would be used. Project Sentinel staff and city managers said there is not currently a permanent Stockton satellite office but the group has been doing field and digital outreach and will increase community partnerships once staffing is in place.
Vice Mayor Lee said her vote was contingent on more aggressive outreach to ensure services reach all districts and especially communities with higher housing instability; staff said they would partner with community centers and the housing authority and report back. The council approved the amendment by voice vote recorded as 7-0.
The amendment was described at the meeting as adding personnel capacity (a bilingual specialist), additional case work and outreach (postcards, brochures, presentations), and a modest increase to the contract to allow Project Sentinel to provide actual mediation rather than phone referrals alone.
Council directed staff to track program metrics and district-based outreach and to return with information on case success rates and staffing details.
