County Board of Supervisors · Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 9:00 AM · Item 36 · CONSENT AGENDA

NotableHousing, Health & social services, Homelessness

$904,833 to Front St. Inc. for supportive housing at Harvey West Studios

In plain English

The county would sign a new contract (No. 27H0464) with Front St., Inc. for up to $904,833 to keep providing on-site supportive housing services at Harvey West Studios and nearby supportive housing sites, plus "Housing Connector" staff who work alongside the county's Full-Service Partnership behavioral health teams. Services include daily living support, peer mentorship, an on-site registered nurse for health and medication coordination, eviction-prevention help, stabilization planning, and connections to behavioral health care. The Housing Connectors help clients build a housing plan, fill out applications, navigate benefits, and work with landlords and the Housing Continuum of Care. A yes vote approves the agreement and lets the Health Services Agency Director or a designee sign it.

The money pays for services to people with serious behavioral health needs who are homeless or at risk of losing housing, including high-acuity residents living at Harvey West Studios, and it keeps services already running since Fiscal Year 2025-26 from lapsing.

Key facts

  • Not-to-exceed amount: $904,833, Contract No. 27H0464 with Front St., Inc.
  • Funded by Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) grant funds from the state Department of Health Care Services; "No new County General Funds are needed or requested."
  • The county was awarded $10.2 million in BHBH funds in 2023, which also paid for the Santa Cruz County Bridge House low-barrier navigation center and emergency housing.
  • Budgeted under 363210/62381/H45300 within the Health Services Agency Behavioral Health approved FY 2026-27 budget.
  • Listed on the consent agenda, meaning it is voted on with other items unless a supervisor pulls it for discussion.

Reasons to support

  • Approval keeps services that began under a May 19, 2026 amendment running without interruption for residents with complex behavioral health needs.
  • The services are paid for with state BHBH grant money, so no county general fund dollars are requested.
  • Splitting these cost-reimbursement services into a standalone agreement follows the contract restructuring the Board authorized on June 4, 2024 after CalAIM Behavioral Health Payment Reform changed how programs are reimbursed.

Reasons to oppose or change it

  • The contract is a sole-source award to Front St., Inc. based on its existing role launching the services, so no competing providers were solicited for the $904,833.
  • The staff report describes BHBH funding as "time-limited resources," raising the question of what pays for these services when the grant money, including the unspent funds being repurposed, runs out.
  • As a consent item, a $904,833 agreement can pass without any separate discussion of how many residents are served or what results are expected.

Official wording

Approve agreement with Front St. Inc., in the amount of $904,833 to provide supportive housing services at Harvey West Studios and adjacent supportive housing sites and housing connector services supporting full-service partnership teams, and take related actions (Health Services Agency) Consent items continued
Official agendaStaff ReportContract 27H0464 Front St. Inc. (eSign)

Summary written by claude-opus-5 from the agenda and the Staff Report. It can contain mistakes. The official documents govern.