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County staff propose raising shelter bed‑night rate; providers say $48 falls short of full costs
Summary
Alameda County Social Services Agency recommended raising the contracted emergency shelter bed‑night rate from $36.42 to $48.43 per night (FMV-based); a UC Berkeley assessment cited much higher full‑cost rates and providers urged larger increases or annual COLAs to avoid closures.
County staff presented an informational assessment of the Alameda County emergency shelter bed‑night rate and asked the committee to consider an update.
Shane Raughey of the Social Services Agency said the current contract rate—$36.42 per night—was established years ago and does not reflect current space and operating costs. Using the single‑room‑occupancy fair‑market rent method as a first step, staff proposed a new bed‑night rate of $48.43 per night for Alameda County Social Services Agency‑funded contract beds. Staff noted that this FMV‑based update would increase annual SSA bed funding from roughly $8.96 million to an estimated $11.9–$14.2 million depending on implementation details.
UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy graduate student analysis, presented to the county, modeled a ‘‘full cost’’ methodology that accounted for staffing intensity and other operating expenses; it produced substantially higher average cost estimates for different shelter types: single adult shelters (~$97.70/night), family shelters (~$91.08/night), domestic violence shelters (~$87.47/night) and a youth shelter outlier (~$243.27/night). The student author’s report was being finalized and had not yet been published for full Board review.
Shelter operators and advocates testified that a $48.43 rate is a meaningful increase but does not close provider funding gaps. Several providers reported shortfalls that would force closures unless additional funds or ongoing annual adjustments (COLAs) are provided. Providers urged the Board to consider full‑cost rates or multi‑year commitments and to tie increases to an annual adjustment mechanism so agencies can plan staffing and operations.
Staff told the committee that other county departments (behavioral health, probation, HCD) also fund shelter beds under different contract terms, and that a full picture of county shelter funding is composite across departments. Staff recommended first adopting an FMV‑based update while the Board reviews the UC Berkeley full‑cost analysis and considers whether to establish separate rates for youth, domestic violence and other shelter types.
This item was informational; the committee asked staff to publish the UC Berkeley assessment and return with final recommendations, including potential youth or full‑cost rates and budgetary implications, for Board consideration.
