CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION and HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY COMMITTEE REPORT relative to bridge housing on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), West Los Angeles Campus.

Recommendations for Council action, as initiated by Motion (Bonin - Huizar - Krekorian), SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MAYOR:

1. DETERMINE that the project to use the West Los Angeles Campus site of the VA as a bridge housing facility is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Article 19, Sections 15301 Class 1(h), 15303 Class 3(c), and 15304 Class 4(a)(b)(e), as well as City of Los Angeles CEQA Guidelines, Article III, Section 1, Class 1(8)(12) and Class 4(1)(3)(6), as set forth in the Notice of Exemption attached to the Council file.
   
   
2. AUTHORIZE the City Administrative Officer (CAO) to negotiate and execute an agreement with the County of Los Angeles (County) and the VA outlining the following:
   
   

   a.	Roles and responsibilities of the City, County, and VA, including financing, construction, project management, and operating funding.
   b.	Necessary review and approval timeframes to ensure the facility opens on or before February 1, 2019.
   c.	Ownership of temporary structures when facility closes.

3. APPROVE funds in the amount of $2,184,989 to establish and construct a bridge housing facility on the property at the VA’s West Los Angeles campus; funds to be appropriated from the Unappropriated Balance Fund No. 10/58, Homeless Service Program; if the City of Los Angeles’ allocation of State of California Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) grant funds is approved by State of California, allocate funds from the California HEAP grant instead of from the Unappropriated Balance Fund No. 10/58, Homeless Service Program.
   
   
4. AUTHORIZE the CAO to negotiate and execute an agreement with the County, or the County’s designee, to accept funds in the amount of $2,500,000 to establish and construct a bridge housing facility on the property at the VA’s West Los Angeles campus.
   
   
5. ESTABLISH a new account within the Capital Improvement Expenditure Program Fund No. 100/54, entitled Bridge Housing - VA Campus and appropriate the amount of $3,934,989.
   
   
6. AUTHORIZE the Controller to appropriate necessary funds to develop a Crisis and Bridge Housing site at the VA’s West Los Angeles campus, as follows:
   
   

   a.	Appropriate $2,184,989 from the Unappropriated Balance Fund No. 10/58, Homeless Service Program as follows:

   
   

   	i.	Transfer $1,434,989 from the Unappropriated Balance Fund No. 10/58, Homeless Service Program to the Capital Improvement Expenditure Program Fund No. 100/54, account entitled Bridge Housing - VA Campus.
   	ii.	Transfer the total of $750,000 from the Unappropriated Balance Fund No. 10/58, Homeless Service Program to the following accounts:

   
   

   	Fund / Department	Account	Title	Amount
   	100/40 Department of General Services (GSD)	001101	Hiring Hall Construction	$100,000
   	100/40 GSD	001121	Hiring Hall Benefits Construction	$100,000
   	100/40 GSD	003180	Construction Materials	$250,000
   	100/78 Bureau of Engineering (BOE)	001010	Salaries General	$300,000

   
   

   iii.

   Authorize the Controller to transfer funds from the account entitled AC2 - Capital and Operating Support within the HEAP Special Fund to the Capital Improvement Expenditure Program Fund No. 100/54, account entitled Bridge Housing - VA Campus instead of the Unappropriated Balance Fund No. 10/58, Homeless Service Program, if the State of California has approved the City of Los Angeles’ application for HEAP grant funds at the time the funds are needed.

   
   

   b.	Upon receipt from the County, or the County’s designee, authorize the Controller to deposit $2,500,000 to the Capital Improvement Expenditure Program Fund No. 100/54, account entitled Bridge Housing - VA Campus.

7. INSTRUCT the CAO to prepare any additional Controller instructions or make any necessary technical adjustments consistent with the Mayor and Council action in this matter; and, AUTHORIZE the Controller to implement these instructions.
   
   
8. INSTRUCT the CAO to prepare any additional Controller instructions to reimburse the BOE and the GSD for their accrued labor and material costs related to this project from the Bridge Housing - VA Campus account consistent with the Mayor and Council action on this matter; and, AUTHORIZE the Controller to implement these instructions.

Fiscal Impact Statement:  Neither the CAO nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has completed a financial analysis of this report.

Community Impact Statement:  None submitted.

(Budget and Finance Committee waived consideration of the above matter)

ATTEST:  Holly L. Wolcott, CITY CLERK

By

          Council Clerk                                  PRESIDENT OF THE CITY COUNCIL