Report 2020-112 Recommendation 19 Responses

Report 2020-112: Homelessness in California: The State's Uncoordinated Approach to Addressing Homelessness Has Hampered the Effectiveness of Its Efforts (Release Date: February 2021)

Recommendation #19 To: Fresno, Housing Authority of the City of

To reduce barriers to CoC membership and to encourage participation, the Fresno City Housing Authority should coordinate with its CoC to conduct an analysis of whether its membership fee is necessary and, if it is not, to eliminate it by August 2021.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From March 2025

In addition to previous responses: The CoC continues to have a fee waiver process in its Governance Charter and does not charge a fee for people with lived experience of homelessness who join the CoC. The fee waiver process has never been used by a current Member, and no Members have expressed that they do not want to pay dues. Agencies have the option to re-commit to the CoC annually, including the membership dues, and generally do. The dues give the CoC access to flexible funds, which are extremely rare and important funds, and are regularly used to support stipends for people with lived experience of homelessness. For example, in 2025 the CoC used membership dues to fund payments to 200+ households that are part of the testing of the CoC's new Coordinated Entry Assessment tool and to fund the translation of the tool to increase its accessibility.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Will Not Implement

We disagree with the Fresno City Housing Authority's contention that charging a membership fee is not an impediment to participation in the Fresno-Madera CoC. Although this fee may have been appropriate in the past to cover specific costs, in 2012 HUD began awarding the CoC funds for planning purposes and the membership fee may no longer be necessary. As we state in the report, although the CoC's bylaws describe the option of waiving the fee, its membership application does not mention the option; as a result, an interested organization that is completing the application may be discouraged from becoming a member. Moreover, as we state in the report, the Fresno-Madera CoC is the only CoC of the five we reviewed that charges a membership fee. Therefore, we stand by our recommendation that the Fresno City Housing Authority should coordinate with the Fresno-Madera CoC to conduct an analysis of whether its membership fee is necessary and, if it is not, to eliminate it.

1-Year Agency Response

The FMCoC does not agree the fee schedule is an impediment to participation and there is no evidence to assume this conclusion. The FMCoC has a process in place to waive fees if requested; this has not happened in the CoC and no not had any organizations and/or individuals who expressed the dues as a reason for lack of participation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Will Not Implement

We disagree with the Fresno City Housing Authority's contention that charging a membership fee is not an impediment to participation in the Fresno-Madera CoC. Although this fee may have been appropriate in the past to cover specific costs, in 2012 HUD began awarding the CoC funds for planning purposes and the membership fee may no longer be necessary. As we state in the report, although the CoC's bylaws describe the option of waiving the fee, its membership application does not mention the option; as a result, an interested organization that is completing the application may be discouraged from becoming a member. Moreover, as we state in the report, the Fresno-Madera CoC is the only CoC of the five we reviewed that charges a membership fee. Therefore, we stand by our recommendation that the Fresno City Housing Authority should coordinate with the Fresno-Madera CoC to conduct an analysis of whether its membership fee is necessary and, if it is not, to eliminate it.

6-Month Agency Response

The FMCoC does not agree the fee schedule is an impediment to participation and there is no evidence to assume this conclusion. The FMCoC has a process in place to waive fees if requested; this has not happened in the CoC and no not had any organizations and/or individuals who expressed the dues as a reason for lack of participation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Will Not Implement

We disagree with the Fresno City Housing Authority's contention that charging a membership fee is not an impediment to participation in the Fresno-Madera CoC. Although this fee may have been appropriate in the past to cover specific costs, in 2012 HUD began awarding the CoC funds for planning purposes and the membership fee may no longer be necessary. As we state in the report, although the CoC's bylaws describe the option of waiving the fee, its membership application does not mention the option; as a result, an interested organization that is completing the application may be discouraged from becoming a member. Moreover, as we state in the report, the Fresno-Madera CoC is the only CoC of the five we reviewed that charges a membership fee. Therefore, we stand by our recommendation that the Fresno City Housing Authority should coordinate with the Fresno-Madera CoC to conduct an analysis of whether its membership fee is necessary and, if it is not, to eliminate it.

60-Day Agency Response

The FMCoC does not agree the fee schedule is an impediment to participation and there is no evidence to assume this conclusion. The FMCoC has a process in place to waive fees if requested; this has not happened in the CoC and no not had any organizations and/or individuals who expressed the dues as a reason for lack of participation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Will Not Implement

We disagree with the Fresno City Housing Authority's contention that charging a membership fee is not an impediment to participation in the Fresno-Madera CoC. Although this fee may have been appropriate in the past to cover specific costs, in 2012 HUD began awarding the CoC funds for planning purposes and the membership fee may no longer be necessary. As we state in the report, although the CoC's bylaws describe the option of waiving the fee, its membership application does not mention the option; as a result, an interested organization that is completing the application may be discouraged from becoming a member. Moreover, as we state in the report, the Fresno-Madera CoC is the only CoC of the five we reviewed that charges a membership fee. Therefore, we stand by our recommendation that the Fresno City Housing Authority should coordinate with the Fresno-Madera CoC to conduct an analysis of whether its membership fee is necessary and, if it is not, to eliminate it by August 2021.

All Recommendations in 2020-112

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.