SR 01-24-2017 3F
Ci ty Council
Report
City Council Meeting : January 24, 2017
Agenda Item: 3.F
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Andy Agle, Director , Housing and Economic Development, Housing Division
Subject: Software Maintenance and Support Services Contract Modification for the
Housing Authority
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute a first modification to contract #10244 CCS, in an amount not to exceed
$28,000, with HAPPY Software Inc. (HAPPY), a New York -based company, for an
upgrade to HAPPY’s Housing Pro 9.1 software, st aff training, and ongoing software
maintenance and support services for the upgrade. Th e recommended modification is
made as an exception to the competitive bidding process pursuant to Santa Monica
Municipal Code (SMMC) Section 2.24.080 (d) and is for a t otal amount not to exceed
$88,000 over a three -year period ending January 31, 2019 , with future -year funding
contingent on Council budget approval.
Executive Summary
The City currently uses Housing Pro 8 software, licensed by HAPPY Software, Inc ., to
admi nister the Housing Authority’s rental housing voucher programs and maintain its
wait list. Installation of HAPPY Housing Pro 9.1, the newest software upgrade to
Housing Pro 8, would allow the City to take advantage of new features that improve
ease of use , efficiency, and tracking and reporting functionality. Staff recommends a
contract increase for the purchase and installation of the new Housing Pro 9.1 software,
on -site staff training, and enhanced support services not to exceed $28,000. From
August 2 010 through January 2017, $184,797 has been spent for HAPPY software
licensing and ongoing software support and maintenance services. Th e recommended
modification is made as an exception to the competitive bidding process pursuant to
Section 2.24.080 (d) a nd is for a total amount not to exceed $88,000 over a three -year
period ending January 31, 2019 , with future -year funding contingent on Council budget
approval. As the proposed modification to the agreement would be added to previous
expenditures that exc eed $80,000, Council approval is required for th e modification.
Background
On January 26, 2016 , Council authorized the renewal of software support and
maintenance services for the full suite of Housing Pro 8 components in an amount not
to exceed $60,000 for a three -year period. The existing Software Support and
Maintenance Services contract with HAPPY extends through January 31, 201 9 .
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Numerous administrative procedures previously completed manually by Housing
Authority staff for its housing voucher, FSS , and CoC programs have become
automated with the use of HAPPY’s Housing Pro 8 software. Th e procedures include
document retention, transmission, and retrieval. With Housing Pro 8, all tenant records
are stored in one database and can be accessed from ind ividual computers, multiple
users can access any tenant record simultaneously, paper copies of households’ files
are no longer needed, and copies of documents can be printed or transferred into
electronic files, if needed, directly from the software. Hous ing Pro 8 also decreased the
amount of time spent on various tasks including preparing inspection reports, mail
merging, and correcting data entry errors.
Discussion
HAPPY recently released Housing Pro 9.1, the newest software upgrade to Housing
Pro 8, wh ich includes over one thousan d new changes that improve ease of use,
efficiency, and tracking and reporting functionality for Housing Authority staff. One of the
most notable changes includes consolidating information from multiple parts of the
database in to a single screen providing a comprehensive view of tenant information.
Accessing the same information in the existing, older version of Housing Pro 8 requires
users to browse through multiple screens. The enhancement offered in Housing
Pro 9.1 allows f or better handling of daily workload. Other notable changes include an
up -to -date news section of relevant changes in federal regulatory information, and live
workload tracking and forecasting tools, improving both how caseloads are managed
and long -range projection accuracy. Improvements to scanned document handling that
allow users to easily drag and drop files into the database is another especially
important enhancement, since the Housing Authority has converted to paperless
administration of its progr ams. In addition, with Housing Pro 9.1 , there is an option to
move to cloud -based hosting, adding potential future flexibility as the City moves in the
direction of workforce mobility. Therefore, staff recommends upgrading to
Housing Pro 9.1.
Vendor/Consu ltant Selection
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On March 15, 2010, a Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued to find a solution for
maintaining the Housing Authorit y’s housing voucher wait list. HAPPY Software's
Housing Pro 8 wait -list software and online portal was selected. Housing Pro 8’s wait -
list software is a single component of a larger suite of software components comprising
the entire Housing Pro 8 software system. On June 12, 2012, Council authorized the
purchase of HAPPY Software's full suite of Housing Pro 8 components for th e Housing
Authority to administer its rental voucher programs, the Family Self -Sufficiency (FSS)
program, and the Continuum of Care (CoC) program, for an amount not to exceed
$150,000 and a term of three years. To upgrade to Housing Pro 9.1 and receive re lated
onsite staff training of the new software, as well as ongoing enhanced maintenance and
support services, a modification to the existing contract with HAPPY is necessary. Staff
recommends HAPPY Software Inc. to provide th e software upgrade and relate d
services as an exception to the competitive process per SMMC Section 2.24.080 (d)
because HAPPY software is a propriety product and only HAPPY Software can provide
the software upgrade and support services for its software. Engaging a new software
main tenance and support company would necessitate purchasing an entirely new
software system, which would be much costlier than upgrading the current system and
would involve significant disruption to the Housing Authority’s operations.
From August 2010 throug h January 2017 , $184,797 has been spent for HA PPY
software licensing and ongoing software support and maintenance services.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
The contract modification to be awarded to HAPPY Software, Inc. is $28,000 , for an
amended co ntract total not to exceed $88,000 . Funds of $19,556 are available in the
FY 2016 -17 budget in the Housing and Economic Development Department . The
contract will be charged to account 122691.533580. Future -year funding is contingent
on Council budget appr oval.
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Prepared By: Elsa Brown, Senior Administrative Analyst
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Staff Report 6.12.12
B. Staff Report 1.26.16
C. Oaks Initiative HAPPYSoftware
Reference:
Modify Contract No. 10244
(CCS)