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County presents homelessness policy update; executive order N‑124 and HAP‑funding risk flagged
Summary
Alameda County staff briefed the board on Governor Newsom’s executive order N‑124 on encampments, a $3.5 million ARPA shelter stabilization grant, pending HAP funding and the need to refresh the Home Together plan; staff warned that housing‑element compliance may put roughly $55 million in state HAP funding at risk.
Alameda County staff provided a multi‑part homelessness policy and planning update on Aug. 6, covering the governor’s executive order N‑124 on encampments, shelter stabilization grants, state Homelessness Assistance Program (HAP) funding and a proposed refresh of the county’s Home Together plan.
Jonathan Russell, director of the county’s Housing, Health & Homelessness Services office, summarized the executive order and emphasized that it applies to state agencies and state land (for example, Caltrans). He said the order encourages coordination with local outreach providers and recommends preserving personal property for 60 days, but does not provide new dedicated funding for encampment resolutions. Russell cautioned that quick removal efforts can have unintended harms—including loss of possessions, interrupted services and worse health outcomes—unless removals are accompanied by coordinated services and clear housing pathways.
Shelter stabilization: Russell said the county has identified $3.5 million in ARPA one‑time funding, administered by the Social Services Agency, to provide grants to county‑funded emergency shelter and interim housing providers at risk of closure. Six eligible applications totaling about $2.7 million had been received as the portal remained open.
HAP funding and housing element risk: Staff reported that the county submitted a joint HAP round‑5 application with the City of Oakland (county share roughly $27.5 million). For HAP round‑6, the state has added new requirements, including monthly (rather than quarterly) reporting and a threshold that applicants must have a state‑compliant housing element to access later tranches of funds. County staff warned that failure to reach housing‑element compliance could imperil about $55 million in regional HAP allocations. The board asked staff to return with specific plans to meet reporting and performance requirements.
Plan refresh: H&H proposed a refresh of the Home Together plan targeting 2030, with updated inventory, equity and system‑performance modeling to align county and city plans and prepare for incoming flexible funding streams.
Public comment during the item included questions about roles and responsibilities between cities and the county for shelter siting, and requests for a city‑by‑city analysis listing jurisdictions that lack shelters or navigation centers.
Next steps: Staff will complete the shelter stabilization grant awards process, advance work on HAP applications and bring back a proposed Home Together refresh and an updated prevention and shallow‑subsidy plan for board review.
