Housing & Human Services Grant

Application and Review Process

The City maintains a list of nonprofit agencies to which notices of funding availability through the Housing and Human Services Grant (HHSG) program are sent every November. To be included on this mailing list, contact the City’s Housing Division at (925) 931-5011. The HHSG application and review process is summarized below:

• In early December, two application workshops are held in conjunction with Livermore and Dublin to provide information, answer questions and distribute applications for grant programs operated by each city.
• Applications are generally due in late January or early February for the following fiscal year (i.e., July 1 through June 30). All HHSG applications must be submitted electronically via ZoomGrants. Please note that the ZoomGrants website will only be active during the open application period from early December to the specified application deadline.
• Applications are reviewed by the city’s Human Services Commission at its March meeting (the first Wednesday evening in March). A staff report will be prepared and copies of the agenda and report will be transmitted to each applicant agency prior to the meeting. A representative of each agency applying for HHSG funds must attend the meeting to represent the application and, if requested, make a brief presentation, after which time, the Human Services Commission will vote on a funding recommendation for consideration by the City Council in April.
• Applications with a housing component may also be referred to the City’s Housing Commission for review and recommendation (generally in mid-March). The commission’s recommendation will be included in the information provided to the Human Services Commission and the City Council.
• Following the March commission meetings, a composite funding recommendation will be submitted to the City Council for final review and approval, usually the first or third Tuesday in April. An agenda report will be prepared and copies will be forwarded to each applicant agency prior to the meeting. While the City Council meeting is a public hearing and applicant agencies are welcome to attend and provide comments, no individual agency presentations are scheduled for the Council meeting.
• Staff will send letters to all applicant agencies regarding the disposition of applications and the final funding allocation following the City Council meeting. The final list of projects approved for HHSG funding will be included in the City’s annual Action Plan that is generally scheduled for review and approval by the City Council in late April or early May.
• If an agency is awarded an HHSG grant, City staff will provide one (1) original of the HHSG funding contract shortly after the Council’s action. Contracts are distributed at a “contract workshop” in May or June. The workshop provides an opportunity for all agencies receiving HHSG funds to receive their contract documents and receive information so that all questions can be addressed efficiently and consistently by City staff. Agencies awarded HHSG funds will receive notification advising of the time and date for the contract workshop several weeks prior to the workshop date.
• The agency must return the original contract (signed by the appropriate agency representative) and provide evidence of required insurance coverage prior to June 30. The city’s insurance requirements are described in the HHSG Policy Manual and are included as an attachment to the funding contract. Upon execution by the city following a required environment review for any projects receiving federal funds, a copy of the executed contract will be returned to the funded agency.
• During the contract period, City staff may contact agencies for specific project information or to schedule an on-site monitoring visit to evaluate the progress of projects and expenditure of HHSG funds. Monitoring visits usually take place in the fall. Funded agencies are requested to comply promptly with any requests for information.