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ADOPT A MOTION TO ACCEPT, ALLOCATE, AND APPROPRIATE GRANT FUNDING TO UPLIFT ALL FOUNDATION’S LOADS OF HOPE PROGRAM FOR PROVIDING MOBILE LAUNDROMAT SERVICE VEHICLES FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a motion to:
1. Accept, appropriate and allocate $400,000.00 to the Uplift All Foundation’s Loads of Hope Program pursuant to 2023-24 California Budget Bill Jr. (Chapter 38, Statutes of 2023, AB 102), Section 19.564;
2. Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to enter into and execute any associated documents and take appropriate and necessary actions to carry out the purpose and intent of this motion including contracts with the granting authority and the subrecipient.
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Summary
The 2023-24 California Budget Bill Jr. (Chapter 38, Statutes of 2023, AB 102), Section 19.564, (Attachment A - AB102) designated State General Funds to be allocated by the Department of Housing and Community Development to the City of Stockton (“City”) for Loads of Hope to provide mobile laundromat service for homeless individuals. Loads of Hope operates five days a week and is based within the St. John’s Church parking lot in Downtown Stockton. The funding allocation will increase program outreach and supplement the fleet of mobile laundromat service vehicles (“laundrovans”), allowing Loads of Hope to expand further into areas impacted by the humanitarian crisis.
DISCUSSION
Background
Loads of Hope, a program operated out of the Uplift All Foundation (“Uplift All”), provides free laundry, haircuts, showers, restrooms, and case management services to the homeless community. The nonprofit currently operates five days a week out of the St. John’s Church parking lot in Downtown Stockton.
Loads of Hope was launched as a free mobile laundrovan that provides the homeless community with the ability to wash their clothes. The hygienic benefits of clean clothes were especially amplified during the pandemic, when disinfection was critical to mitigate the spread of diseases. Dirty clothes are documented vectors for diseases. Those who have limited access to laundry services have no other option than to discard soiled clothing. A study conducted by UC Riverside Professor Lawrence Rosenblum demonstrated that “wearing clean clothes results in more positive brain activity, brain power, relaxation and a happier mood” (<https://www.upliftallfoundation.org/loadsofhope>).
Loads of Hope offers food and water to homeless individuals while they wait for their clothes to be cleaned. Also through its Hope Hub Services, Uplift All coordinates health care services, bridging clinical health to a hard-to-reach population. Homeless individuals are provided with toiletries and dental oral care which are essential to maintaining proper hygiene.
Present Situation
The Loads of Hope program has garnered support through the State legislative process. The 2023-2024 California Budget Bill Jr. includes $400,000 to augment Loads of Hope efforts in the City of Stockton. This funding will support the purchase of additional laundrovans that operate entirely on solar energy, in order to serve more unhoused community members where the nonprofit operates and mobilize to any area around the City that may need the vehicles. The funding will align with essential and existing wraparound services that promote positive behavioral and physical health of homeless individuals.
The Department of Housing and Community Development (“HCD”) will draft a standard agreement contract, and upon Council approval, the City will enter into the contract to receive funding and immediately begin the process of distribution to Uplift All Foundation’s Loads of Hope program in the amount of $400,000. The City will adhere to all guidelines and reporting requirements as dictated by the HCD agreement.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
There is no financial impact to the City's General Fund as a result of this action. The $400,000 awarded from the State General Fund pursuant to 2023-24 California Budget Bill Jr. will be appropriated and budgeted in the Special Grant Fund, in the Housing Division, for Loads of Hope.
Attachment A - AB 102