HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Services and Housing Funding Board - MINUTES - 02/14/2024
Human Services & Housing Funding Board
REGULAR MEETING
February 14, 2024 at 5:30 PM
222 Laporte Ave, Fort Collins – Colorado River Room
Additional viewing option via Zoom
2 /1 4 /2024 – MINUTES Page 1
1. CALL TO ORDER
• At 5:40 PM the meeting was called to order by Pat Hastings.
2. ROLL CALL
• Board Members Present
o Pat Hastings, Chair
o Christine Koepnick
o Erma Woodfin
o Lori Kempter
o Michaela Ruppert
o Mike Kulisheck
o Mike Nielsen
• Board Members Excused
o Olga Duvall, Vice Chair
• Staff Members Present
o Adam Molzer, Staff Liaison, Social Sustainability – City of Fort Collins
o Beth Rosen, Social Sustainability – City of Fort Collins
o Hannah Tinklenberg, Social Sustainability – City of Fort Collins
o Tamra Leavenworth, Social Sustainability – City of Fort Collins
• Guests Present
o Francis Pfohl
o Tim Peers, Program Director of Catholic Charities for Larimer County
For further information, details and insight, and audio recording, resources are available by contacting the
HSHF-Board staff liaison.
3. AGENDA REVIEW
Adam Molzer reviewed the agenda. The Board accepted the agenda without modification.
4. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
Francis Pfhol is a Front Range Community College student that is attending the board meeting as part of a
community engagement opportunity for a class. Tim Peers is the Program Director of Catholic Charities for
Larimer County.
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – January 10, 2024 Regular Meeting
Erma Woodfin motioned to approve the January 10, 2024 meeting minutes as presented. Mike Nielsen
seconded. Approved 7-0.
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6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
None.
7. NEW BUSINESS
a. Crossroads Safehouse Bringing Justice Home Updates – Lori Kempter
• In 2023, the Board approved funding for Crossroads Safehouse’s Bringing Justice Home program,
which offered legal assistance to victims of domestic violence. Lori Kempter, the Executive Director
of Crossroads Safehouse and member of the HSHF Board, informed the Board that this program
unfortunately ended in January 2024 due to a lack of funding. After discussion with Adam Molzer,
Crossroads went through a spend-down and de-obligation process of the remaining grant funds.
Crossroads’ contract will be amended and the approximately $2,000 of unobligated funds will be
recovered and applied toward the 2024 competitive grant process.
• The Board asked Lori if there were any alternatives to this service available in the community. Lori
explained that there are not many options. There is Rocky Mountain Law, but they only offer one-
time meetings where they provide legal advice, rather than representing an individual in their civil
legal services. They also do not have the domestic violence expertise that Crossroad’s staff had.
b. HOME-ARP Supportive Services Funding Deliberations – Hannah Tinklenberg & Beth Rosen
• Beth Rosen provided a brief overview of the HOME-ARP Supportive Services funding, explaining that
the City received a total of $2.6 million through the Home Investment Partnerships American
Rescue Plan Program from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). $400,000
remains to be allocated for Supportive Services. The purpose of supportive service funds is to assist
persons currently experiencing homelessness and to prevent those precariously housed from
becoming homeless.
• Beth explained that in the event there are more requests than available funds, priority will be given
to applications based on a tier-ranking system. Tier 1 applicants work collaboratively across the Fort
Collins community to provide supportive services to all qualifying populations. Tier 2 applicants limit
funding to specific targeted populations and/or households enrolled in a program with limited
capacity.
• The City received applications from Catholic Charities, Crossroads Safehouse, Homeward Alliance,
and Neighbor to Neighbor. Homeward Alliance and Neighbor to Neighbor are Tier 1 applicants,
while Catholic Charities and Crossroads Safehouse are Tier 2 applicants. Beth explained that the Tier
1 applicants coordinated with one another to ask for the full amount of available funding, which
City staff did not anticipate.
Erma Woodfin motioned to fund SS-3 Homeward Alliance at $200,000. Lori Kempter seconded.
Approved 7-0.
Lori Kempter motioned to fund SS-4 Neighbor to Neighbor at $200,000. Michaela Ruppert
seconded. Approved 7-0.
Pat Hastings motioned to fund SS-1 Catholic Charities at $0. Mike Nielsen seconded. Approved 7-0.
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Pat Hastings motioned to fund SS-2 Crossroads Safehouse at $0. Michaela Ruppert seconded. Lori
Kempter recused herself. Approved 6-0.
• City staff will take the funding recommendation to City Council in April and the contract will be
effective May 1.
8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS
On Olga Duvall’s behalf, Adam Molzer shared information about a 21-day racial equity habit-building
challenge that occurs in April.
9. STAFF REPORTS
a. Competitive Process Update
• Adam Molzer shared that the grant application closed at 11:59pm on Tuesday, February 13.
8 housing applications and 46 human service applications were received. The housing application
requests totaled approximately $4.8 million with approximately $2.9 million in available funding.
The human service requests totaled approximately $2 million with approximately $900,000 in
available funding.
• Adam reminded the Board that they will be asked to vote on renewal applications for the 4
programs that receive funding from the 3-year Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). This
will be the last year of the renewal process and new proposals will be received in 2025.
• On March 27, the Board will host a joint work session with the Affordable Housing Board where the
housing applicants will offer live presentations of their funding proposals and engage in a Q&A. The
Board asked Adam if the applicants could record their presentations for the Board to review prior to
the live work session due to the increased number of applications. The Board expressed that they
would still like to utilize the work session for a live Q&A. Adam will discuss the idea with Sue Beck-
Ferkiss, the staff liaison for the Affordable Housing Board.
• On April 10, the Board will meet to evaluate and discuss human service proposals, but not funding.
b. Human Services Priorities Platform Update
• Adam Molzer shared that a graduate student from UC Denver in the MPA Program is helping with
interviews of local funders.
• The team will also be working with focus groups, getting input from nonprofit leaders, and
gathering demographic information for the project.
10. OTHER BUSINESS
Grantee Client Story: Adam Molzer shared a brief impact story submitted by Volunteers of America’s Meals
on Wheels program in a recent report.
11. NEXT MEETING
Wednesday, March 13, 2024 | 5:30pm | Location: Zoom/Online
13. ADJOURNMENT
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Pat Hastings adjourned meeting at 6:40 PM.
Minutes were finalized and approved by the Human Services & Housing Funding Board on March 13, 2024.