Who We Are

In 1994, the Solano County Economic Opportunity Council (SCEOC), which provided safety net services to low income residents in Solano County, ceased operations. The Board of Supervisors established the Solano County Community Action Agency (CAA) to help rebuild the safety net and to ensure that State Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funds, available only to community action agencies, would continue to be available in Solano County.

In July of 1999 the Solano County Board of Supervisors established a Joint Powers Authority called the Solano Safety Net Consortium (SSNC).

This authority included the six (6) cities of: Benicia, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun, Vacaville, and Vallejo as well as Solano County. The membership was to include seven (7) members representing each of these entities.

The SSNC was established to provide:

oversight and coordination of homeless and safety net services to the residents of Solano County;
to serve as the conduit for safety net funding support;
to administer such funds and make grants available to other non-profit entities for services to the homeless;
to set policy and be the central agency for the oversight and technical assistance for the operation of homeless shelters, transitional housing, homeless assistance centers, community action councils and other safety net services; and
to undertake such other programs as the Board of Directors may authorize.

On May 9, 2006, the JPA was officially renamed the Community Action Partnership of Solano, Joint Powers Authority (CAP Solano JPA). For over 20 years, the leadership of CAP Solano JPA was led by jurisdictional appointees who helped apply for, secure, and distribute funds to the homeless system of care. Over these 20+ years, the JPA worked to maximize receiving federal, State and local funding that otherwise would not have be available to any one entity. The JPA also leveraged all existing resources within the County, allowed each jurisdiction to contribute to solutions, and worked with the local Continuum of Care to develop consistent policies and practices to serve homeless individuals and families.

The primary roles and responsibilities of the JPA include:

• Community Action Agency for Community Services Block Grant
• Collaborative Applicant (CA) = designated by HFS to collect and submit the CoC Registration, CoC Consolidated Application (which includes the CoC Priority Listing) and apply for CoC planning funds on behalf of HFS during the HUD NOFO competition (JPA).
• Administrative Entity (AE) = designated by HFS to collect and submit state applications for funding.
• The HMIS Lead = eligible applicant designated by HFS, to manage the HMIS (sub-contracted to Pathways).
• Fiscal Agent = responsible for finances for HFS (sub-contracted to City of Vacaville).

The JPA leadership helped to create and support the Tripartite Advisory Board (TAB), Continuum of Care (CoC), and the various committees that support the work of the system (ex: HMIS, Lived Experience Council, Governance). They helped to support the creation of the Coordinated Entry System and secured additional jurisdictional funds that allowed for its continued growth. They were integral in leading Solano’s homeless system of care through the COVID-19 outbreak, providing millions of dollars to support non-congregate shelters for those who were the most vulnerable in the community.

In 2022 a restructuring took place that included the City of Dixon joining the JPA and two (2) elected members representing each of the jurisdictions becoming the governing board. The purpose of the JPA remains to develop and implement strategies, services, and systems to assist low income and homeless persons and families to become self-sufficient. The JPA has been applauded by the state for being one of very few communities who have every jurisdiction at the table to collaborate on addressing homelessness.

If you would like to learn more about the JPA and their leadership in addressing homelessness, we recommend you visit this website to learn about meetings you can attend and ways you can get involved.

Governance Documents

• Read the 1999 Resolution creating the JPA here.
• View the Bylaws for the JPA here.
• View the JPA’s Continuum of Care Policies and Procedures here.