Placement: Consent Agenda
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Inter-Local Agreement (ILA)
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Submitted By: Carmen Capezzuto, Neighborhood Services Director
Strategic Plan Link: The City’s Mission to be responsive to our community.
Summary Brief (Agreements/Contracts only)
1. Prepared by: City of Port St. Lucie Neighborhood Services and St. Lucie County Community Services Department
2. Parties: City of Port St. Lucie Neighborhood Services and St. Lucie County Community Services Department
3. Purpose: The execution of the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program funded by grant money from the US Department of the Treasury.
4. New/Renewal/Modified: New
5. Duration: Agreement and program set to expire December 31, 2020.
6. Benefits to Port St. Lucie: All residents will be able to apply for rental assistance and eviction help through one centralized website that the City worked on with the County and other county municipalities in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, www.recoverstlucie.org <http://www.recoverstlucie.org>. All information will be available in one location, the application process will be the same for the entire County and the combined resources will provide a stronger, more coherent resource and information center and phone bank.
7. Cost to Port St. Lucie (Annual and Potential): None, the program is funded by the US Department of the Treasury ERA grant that the City was awarded as a result of the COVID-19 Economic Relief Bill.
Presentation Information: N/A
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Council approve the Inter-Local Agreement with St. Lucie County to administer the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program as one centralized program.
Alternate Recommendations:
1. Move that the Council amend the recommendation and and provide staff direction.
2. Move that the Council not approve and provide staff direction.
Background: The City of Port St. Lucie has been awarded $6,094,878.80 in Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program funding, which was a part of the COVID-19 Economic Relief Bill signed by the President on December 27, 2020. On January 7, 2021, the U.S. Treasury announced the process for participating in the ERA and advised that agreements were required to be signed and returned no later than January 12, 2021. Due the short time frame, the City Manager signed the attached agreement on January 8, 2021. Shortly thereafter the City received the allocation.
The County also received a direct allocation and the other two municipalities within St. Lucie County, the City of Ft. Pierce and the St. Lucie Village did not meet the population requirements for the grant. In recognition of the need across the entire County and the already established coordinated efforts between the City, the County and the other municipalities staff has determined it is in the best interest of all of the City’s residents to continue forward with one centralized COVID-19 recovery assistance hub.
The goal is to have all residents of St. Lucie County applying for Rental Assistance and Eviction Protection through one centralized website that the City worked on and promoted with the County in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, www.recoverstlucie.org. All information would be available in one location. The application process would be the same for the entire County and the combined resources would provide a stronger, more coherent resource and information center including public information lines. Combining our programs will also help prevent a duplication of services. Neighborhood Services would work with both Communications Departments (City & County) plus the 1PSL team to ensure that we are heavily marketing this program to the widest possible audience.
Issues/Analysis: The City’s Community Programs Staff will work closely with the County and all partners to execute and monitor the ERA Program in the most streamlined and efficient method for our residents. All City grant funds will only be used for City residents per grant guidelines. All programs and agreements will adhere strictly to all U.S. Department of the Treasury guidelines and updates will be provided on a regular basis. The City would audit this program and the ILA would hold the County responsible for repaying the City any expended funds that may be found by the U.S. Treasury to be out of compliance with the grant contract. Additional details are outlined in the attached agreements and informative documents.
Financial Information: Per the guideline’s issues by the US Department of the Treasury a maximum of 10% of the funding may be used for administrative costs. Funds that are not used for administrative costs will be used for rental assistance and eviction prevention.
Special Consideration: Staff is looking for approval to launch the program as soon as possible in order to stay on schedule with the County’s March timeline for program launch.
Location of Project: City of Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie County, Florida
Attachments: Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Inter-Local Agreement, Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Contract, Emergency Rental Assistance Terms and FAQ’s published on 1-19-21 and updated FAQs published on 2-22-21.
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: Legal Intake #6076
Legal Sufficiency Review:
Reviewed by Ella M. Gilbert, Deputy City Attorney. Approved as to Legal form and sufficiency by James D. Stokes, City Attorney.