Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department Development to enter into a grant agreement with the Community Shelter Board (CSB) in an amount up to $10,399,650.00 to administer six initiatives to address homelessness in the City of Columbus and to authorize the payment of expenses starting January 1, 2025. The prior expenses include those customarily funded by this annual operating support given to CSB that fund the programs identified in the Background Section of this legislation. Funding will be advanced to the agency on a predetermined schedule.
Prior to FY2020, the Director of Development had submitted five different ordinances to enter into five separate contracts, one for each initiative. In 2020, in order to increase efficiencies in payments and reporting, all programs were managed under one single contract. This has proven to be more effective and efficient and will be the model moving forward.
CSB has, and will continue, to administer the following six initiatives to address homelessness in our community: Continuum of Care Application, Crisis Response, Outreach Services, Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Services, Safety Net Program, and Hotel Cost-Office of Violence Prevention. These programs provide support for men, women and families who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness in Columbus. The CSB leads a coordinated, community effort to make sure everyone has a place to call home.
The CSB is the collective impact organization driving strategy, accountability, collaboration, and resources to achieve the best outcomes for people facing homelessness in Columbus and Franklin County. The CSB will provide administration, oversight and monitoring of the City’s investment for each of these six initiatives. The City and the CSB are working together to effectively and efficiently help individuals and families resolve their housing crisis and maintain stability in permanent housing. Below is more detail for each program.
Continuum of Care (CoC) Consolidated Application
CSB is the designated Collaborative Applicant on behalf of the City of Columbus and Franklin County and will prepare the 2020 Consolidated Application for the Continuum of Care. The Consolidated Application will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for all Columbus and Franklin County renewal and new permanent supportive housing projects. CSB will work with the Columbus and Franklin County Continuum of Care governing committee to develop local Continuum of Care priorities and review projects to be included in the Columbus and Franklin County submission.
Crisis Response
CSB and its partners are providing services through the following crisis response initiatives for persons experiencing homelessness: single adult crisis response program; assistance to families experiencing homelessness; assistance to pregnant women experiencing homelessness; and, assistance for non-VA eligible veterans.
Collaborative (Street) Outreach Services
CSB will provide street and land outreach services through its funded partners to reduce unsheltered homelessness in Columbus. Outreach teams will work collaboratively to provide pro-active engagement, referral to medical and behavioral healthcare, and linkage to emergency shelter and permanent housing.
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Services
CSB will provide its permanent supportive housing (PSH) partners with funding for various supportive services to PSH residents. These services will consist of necessary on-site social services and/or referrals to physical and mental health agencies for formerly homeless individuals currently living in PSH units.
Safety Net
CSB will provide funding to its partners to continue the City’s support for the operation of emergency shelters, related emergency shelter services, homelessness prevention and transition services for persons experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
Hotel Cost- Office of Violence Prevention
CSB will provide temporary housing assistance on behalf of the Office of Violence Prevention.
These programs provide support for men, women and families who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness in Columbus. The CSB leads a coordinated, community effort to make sure everyone has a place to call home.
The services included in this contract cannot be provided by existing city employees because these services are beyond the City’s current staffing capacity to provide.
Emergency action is requested in order to avoid any disruption of essential services to our vulnerable unhoused residents.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funds for this contract are allocated as follows: $9,143,084.00 from the Department of Development’s Administrative Division’s 2025 General Fund budget, a $10,000.00 transfer from the Office of Violence Prevention’s 2025 budget, and $1,246,566.00 from the General Fund, Income Tax Set Aside Subfund (100099).
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE: the vendor’s vendor number is 004795 and is valid thru 12/10/2026.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement with the Community Shelter Board for the purpose of continuing the City’s support for men, women and families who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness in Columbus; to authorize the payment of expenses prior to purchase order execution starting January 1, 2025; to authorize the transfer of $10,000.00 within the General Fund; to authorize the appropriation of $1,246,566 in the Income Tax Set-Aside Fund to the Department of Development, Administration Division; to authorize an expenditure in an amount up to $10,399,650.00 from the General Fund and the Income Tax Set-Aside Subfund; to authorize the payment for reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverages; to allow funding to be advanced to the agency on a predetermined schedule; and to declare an emergency. ($10,399,650.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Director of the Department of Development desires to enter into a grant agreement with the Community Shelter Board; and
WHEREAS, the Community Shelter Board will provide administration, oversight, and monitoring of the City’s investment in these six initiatives: Continuum of Care Application, Crisis Response, Outreach Services, Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Services, Safety Net Program, and Hotel Cost-Office of Violence Prevention; and
WHEREAS, these initiatives are working effectively and efficiently to help individuals and families resolve their housing crisis and maintain stability in permanent housing; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance authorizes a grant agreement in an amount up to $10,399,650.00 with the Community Shelter Board for the purpose of providing these essential services to the people experiencing homelessness, funding will be advanced to the agency on a predetermined schedule.; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance authorizes the payment of expenses incurred prior to purchase order execution, starting January 1, 2025; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance authorizes the transfer in an amount up to $10,000.00 within the General Fund; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance authorizes appropriation and expenditure of $1,246,566 within the Income Tax Set-Aside Fund, and the expenditure in an amount up to $9,153,084.00 from the General Fund; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into a grant agreement in an amount up to $10,399,650.00 with the Community Shelter Board for the purpose of providing these essential services to the people experiencing homelessness, all for the immediate preservation of the public health, 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 Director of the Department of Development is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with the Community Shelter Board, ending January 31, 2026, for the purpose of continuing the City’s support for men, women and families who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness in our city; to authorize payment for expenses incurred prior to purchase order execution; and to authorize advanced funds per a schedule to be included in the agreement.
SECTION 2. That the transfer of $10,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized within Fund 1000 (General Fund), from Dept.-Div 40-07 (Office of Violence Prevention), Object Class 03 (Services) to Dept.-Div 44-01 (Development Administration), Object Class 05 (Other) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That from the unappropriated monies and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purpose during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, the sum of -$-------1,246,566.00 is hereby appropriated in Fund 1000 (General Fund), Subfund 100099 (Income Tax Set Aside), Dept-Div 44-01 (Administration), in object class 05 (Other) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That for the purpose as stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $9,153,084.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 1000 (General Fund), Subfund 100010 (General Fund Operating), Dept-Div 44-01 (Administration), in object class 05 (Other) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That for the purpose as stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $1,246,566.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 1000 (General Fund) ), Subfund 100099 (Income Tax Set Aside), Dept-Div 44-01 (Administration), in Object Class 05 (Other) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 6. That this contract is awarded pursuant to the relevant provisions of Chapter 329 of City Code relating to the process for awarding grant agreements.
SECTION 7. Funds are hereby deemed appropriated and expenditures and transfers authorized to carry out the purposes of this ordinance and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 8. 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 9. That Columbus City Council acknowledges and defines as operating costs inherent to the mission of this non-profit the purchase of food and non-alcoholic beverages for populations experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity, and/or food insecurity. Any or all of the expenditure authorized by this ordinance may be spent toward payment of food and non-alcoholic beverage expenses for such populations. Expenses incurred prior to the creation of a purchase order may be reimbursed. However, in no case may food and non-alcoholic beverage expenses incurred prior to the effective date of this ordinance be reimbursed. City Council declares that the expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverage expenses authorized by this ordinance to be for a proper public purpose.
SECTION 10. That for the 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.