TITLE
Title
APPROVE MOU WITH GUILFORD COUNTY CONTINUUM OF CARE FOR GUILFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO SERVE AS NC-504 COLLABORATIVE APPLICANT AND COC LEAD AGENCY
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
Victor Isler, Assistant County Manager for Successful People / Health & Human Services Director
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BACKGROUND
Background
Since 2022, Guilford County Government (the County) has, and continues to, serve as the Collaborative Applicant for the Greensboro, High Point/Guilford County NC 504 Continuum of Care (CoC). A Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations formalizes this relationship. The current MOU expires on June 30, 2025. For the last 12-18 months, the County has, in collaboration, engaged in a systematic review of the service delivery system for unhoused individuals across the County. One outcome of this work has been the identification of the need for more staffing support in the area of strategy and coordination, in additional to the administrative and monitoring duties identified in the previous agreement.
To achieve the referenced outcomes, the NC-504 CoC and County staff have revised the MOU to designate the County as the CoC Lead Agency. As the CoC Lead Agency, under the direction of the NC-504 CoC, the County will be responsible for providing additional administrative support to include policy and procedure development, monitoring for regulatory compliance, and supporting the implementation of the CoC’s strategic plan and coordination with other agencies. This MOU will run for a five (5) year term from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2030. The extended term will benefit both parties by providing longer-term stability and operational continuity. At this time, the NC 504 CoC Board and the entire Membership have approved the proposed MOU earlier this month. The County is the only remaining party that needs to approve the MOU.
To accomplish the work of the CoC Lead Agency in addition to the existing Collaborative Applicant work, and to support the County’s desire for more coordination around housing and homeless services, County staff have also developed a proposal for expanding the County’s CoC program from four (4) positions - one (1) CoC Program Manager and three (3) CoC Specialists - to seven (7) positions through the addition of three (3) additional positions included in the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget, funded with ARPA Investment Earnings.
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BUDGET IMPACT
Budget Impact
NO ADDITIONAL COUNTY FUNDS REQUIRED
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REQUESTED ACTION
Requested Action
Approve the proposed Memorandum of Understanding with Guilford County NC 504 Continuum of Care (CoC) for the County to serve as the NC-504 Collaborative Applicant and CoC Lead Agency for a term of five (5) years starting July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2030.
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