Explanation
BACKGROUND: The Office of CelebrateOne was awarded a Housing Assistance to Improve Birth and Child Outcomes Grant from the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) for the Healthy Beginnings At Home (HBAH) 2.0 Program in partnership with the Ohio Department of Health in April 2022. Grant acceptance and subgrant service contracts were legislated with Ord. 2122-2022 and it included authorization of four (4) contracts, two (2) with housing administration services and two with project managers. This legislation modifies all four (4) contracts to better align the existing funding and it also adds a fifth contract for a new vendor to assume the work of one of the original housing providers, The Homeless Families Foundation DBA Homes For Families, which is leaving the project.
This contract modification ordinance relates only to the COHHIO/Ohio Department of Health Funding (State) and does not affect the Emergency Rental Assistance dollars (Federal). It is anticipated that a separate ordinance will realign ERA dollars between the three housing assistance providers.
Healthy Beginnings At Home 2.0 was planned to reduce the infant mortality of high-risk pregnant women by providing affordable housing intervention to those living in unstable housing. This program provides rental assistance, housing stabilization services, as well as prenatal and postnatal support to promote the health of a mother and her family as early as possible in pregnancy and to minimize the impact of unstable housing on pregnant women living in the CelebrateOne high-risk target zip codes within Columbus. The term of the original contract was April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2024. This modification extends the contract period through June 30, 2025 for the two contract administration contracts, Barbara Poppe Associates, LLC and AJC Solutions LLC. This ordinance also realigns the funding in order to add another housing administration vendor, Physicians Careconnection , to serve those pregnant families currently served by The Homeless Families Foundation. The Homeless Families Foundation is leaving the project no later than October 31, 2023, and possibly earlier. The contracts for Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority and Physicians Careconnection will be extended until June 30, 2025.
Community Partners and Program Administration Contracts funded through this grant are:
Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority DAX#006216, non-profit
The Homeless Family Foundation (DBA Homes For Families) DAX# 025439, non-profit
Physicians Careconnection DAX# 005206, non-profit
Barbara Poppe Associates, LLC DAX#042398, exp. 7/10/2024
AJC Solutions, LLC DAX# 042406, exp. 7/12/2024
EMERGENCY ACTION: This ordinance is submitted as an emergency as to not delay continued housing program services as there are monthly rental payments that may possibly be delayed and causing negative impacts for vulnerable families such as additional late fees and/or eviction notices.
WAIVER OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING: A new contract with Physicians Careconnection (PCC) is necessary to assume the work that had been assigned to The Homeless Families Foundation. The Homeless Families Foundation is leaving the project and their clients must continue to be serviced with rental fees and utility payments. Physicians Careconnection is a non-profit entity already providing the same services for pregnant and homeless families in the Columbus area. Advertising for a new vendor to provide these services is manifestly impractical as the grant is already underway and clients are presently enrolled in the project. Advertising and selecting a new vendor would unnecessarily cause delays in housing the clients and would likely exceed the costs negotiated with the new vendor, Physicians Careconnection. PCC has the necessary skills and experience to assume the work previously done by The Homeless Families Foundation. A contract with Physicians Careconnection was negotiated by CelebrateOne and will utilize existing funding that was already appropriated in Ordinance 2122-2022. The contract with Physicians Careconnection requires the waiving of the City's Code Section 329 as it pertains to advertising, evaluating, and awarding professional services contracts due to the urgency of getting a qualified housing assistance firm to oversee the administration of the grant as it relates to homelessness in Central Ohio.
Physicians Careconnection , is currently providing housing administration for pregnant women in Columbus and will assume the clients of The Homeless Families Foundation DBA Homes For Families Foundation when they leave the project.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance realigns the grant funding that was already accepted and appropriated under Ordinance 2122-2022 within the General Government Grant Fund 2220, Grant # 402205. No new funding is being utilized, only reorganized among the existing four contracts and one (1) new housing provider. The original general budget reservation assigned via Ordinance 2122-2022 was ACPO008132.
Title
To authorize the Executive Director of CelebrateOne to enter into a grant-funded service contract with Physicians Careconnection up to $347,772.00 for housing administration services; to modify existing non-profit service contract dollar amounts with The Homeless Families Foundation, Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, Barbara Poppe Associates, and AJC Solutions to realign COHHIO/Ohio Department of Health funding; to waive the competitive bidding requirements of the Columbus City Code; and to declare an emergency. ($347,772.00)
Body
WHEREAS, $1,180,274.00 in grant funds were awarded to CelebrateOne from the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio through the Ohio Department of Health for the Health Beginnings at Home 2.0 Project (Grant #402205) resulting contracts were approved with Ordinance 2122-2022; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to reduce the remaining Ohio Department of Health encumbered dollars among the two existing housing administration vendors, Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority and Homeless Families Foundation in order to fund work for a third housing administration vendor, Physicians Careconnection ; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary for the Executive Director of CelebrateOne to execute a not for profit service agreement with Physicians Careconnection for an amount up to $347,772.00 within the General Government Grant Fund 2220; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to modify the existing contract with Barbara Poppe Associates by increasing funding with an additional $86,000.00 within Grant #402205 and to extend the length of the contract to June 30, 2025; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to modify the existing contract with AJC Solutions by increasing funding with an additional $96,653.00 within Grant #402205 and to extend the length of the contract to June 30, 2025; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to modify existing contract with The Homeless Families Foundation by reducing their contract by an amount up to $142,500.00 within Grant #402205; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to modify existing contract with Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority by reducing their contract by an amount up to $387,925.00 within Grant #402205 and extend their contract to June 30, 2025; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance authorizes the Executive Director of CelebrateOne to waive the competitive bidding requirement of Columbus City Code Section 329 in order to award the non-profit service agreement to Physicians Careconnection as they are already providing housing administration for pregnant families within the City of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Office of CelebrateOne in that it is immediately necessary to execute a new provider contract with Physicians Careconnection as there are monthly rental payments so that the payments may not be delayed, adversely impacting vulnerable families causing late fees and possibly eviction notices for renters in the program without immediate action; now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Office of CelebrateOne is hereby authorized to enter into a not for profit service agreement with Physicians Careconnection for an amount up to $347,772.00 of existing funding from the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) through the Ohio Department of Health for the Healthy Beginnings At Home 2.0 Program, Grant #402205 within the General Government Grant Fund 2220.
SECTION 2. That the existing encumbrances with Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (PO354425) and The Homeless Families Foundation (PO343532) are reduced per the attachment to this ordinance in order to fund the Physicians Careconnection , up to $347,772.00 and to modify the existing contracts for both Barbara Poppe Associates (PO343695) and AJC Solutions (PO339333).
SECTION 3. That the contracts for Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, Physicians Careconnection , Barbara Poppe Associates, and AJC Solutions are extended until June 30, 2025, and that the contract for The Homeless Families Foundation will end no later than October 31, 2023.
SECTION 4. That the expenditure of up to $347,772.00 is hereby authorized from General Government Grant Fund No 2220 per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That this Council finds it in the City's best interests to waive the competitive bidding requirement of Columbus City Code Section 329.
SECTION 6. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 7. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 8. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.