Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Homes On the Hill Community Development Corporation in support of their Housing Counseling Program.
The mission of Homes on the Hill CDC is to strengthen neighborhoods by providing quality affordable housing, advocacy, education, and supportive services to individuals and families of primarily low/moderate incomes.
The Homes on the Hill Housing Counseling program educates families with HUD certified housing counseling services combined with financial coaching. The program also provides access to emergency rental assistance or first-time home buyer down payment assistance programs. All participants receive one-on-one HUD certified housing counseling and financial coaching that is a continuing relationship-based process, directed by the participant according to their goals, and centered on performance improvement rooted in setting tangible goals and behavior change.
Each participant reviews a copy of their credit report or rental history, completes a household budget including a savings plan, sets their own financial goals, and designs a financial action plan. Follow up is continued until each family meets their financial or housing stability goal. The HOTH Housing Counseling Program is open to anyone in the City of Columbus and Franklin County.
Emergency action is necessary to allow program services to continue without interruption.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Homes On the Hill Community Development Corporation in support of their Housing Counseling Program; to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($100,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the mission of Homes on the Hill CDC is to strengthen neighborhoods by providing quality affordable housing, advocacy, education, and supportive services to individuals and families of primarily low/moderate incomes.; and
WHEREAS, the Homes on the Hill Housing Counseling program educates families with HUD certified housing counseling services combined with financial coaching.; and
WHEREAS, the HOTH Housing Counseling Program is open to anyone in the City of Columbus and Franklin County.; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Clerk's Office in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Clerk enter into a grant agreement with Homes on the Hill CDC in support of their Housing Counseling Program to allow for program services to continue without interruption, all for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; and NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Clerk is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with Homes on the Hill CDC in support of their Housing Counseling Program.
SECTION 2. That the appropriation and expenditure of $100,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the action authorized in SECTION 1, is authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 4. 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 5. That for the reason 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.