Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department Development to enter into a grant agreement with the Community Shelter Board (CSB), a non-profit corporation, in an amount up to $13,075,000.00 to administer five initiatives to address homelessness in the City of Columbus and to authorize the payment of expenses starting January 1, 2026. 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. That the appropriation in an amount up to $4,000,000.00 is authorized, $3,654,654.64 is currently available and the remaining $345,345.36 will be available at the end of May.
CSB has, and will continue, to administer the following five initiatives to address homelessness in our community: Continuum of Care Application, Crisis Response, Outreach Services, Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Services, and the Safety Net Program. 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 five
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, and amounts, 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.
In addition to these five initiatives CSB is also receiving funding under this agreement for the continuation of the Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program that was a program under the Division of Housing’s HOME program. They will continue to provide tenant based rental assistance to those in need while in alignment with the program guidelines and regulations that were previously in place under the HOME funded program.
Finally as the City implements the Resilient Housing Initiative (RHI), a city funded program designed to prevent and address homelessness and promote housing stability for extremely low-income residents, CSB will provide operational support for the Resilient Housing Initiative by coordinating intake and screening for services and administering a landlord grant fund.
As the Unified Funding Agency (UFA) and system leader for the prevention of and response to homelessness in Franklin County, CSB shall provide the City with expert consultation, timely data, and comprehensive reporting, including advance copies of all reports to support and inform the City’s strategic decision-making and legislative objectives.
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. The authorization to purchase food and non-alcoholic beverages, as “operating costs” to serve the public purpose for populations experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity and food insecurity.
Emergency action is requested in order to avoid any disruption of essential services to our vulnerable unhoused residents.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding for this contract is available in an amount up to $9,075,000.00 from within the Department of Development’s Housing Stability 2026 General Fund budget, and $4,000,000.00 from within the Neighborhood Partnerships Capital Fund. At this time only $3,654,654.64 is available within the Neighborhood Partnerships Capital Fund the additional $345,345.36 will be available upon receipt of funds at the end of May.
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE: the vendor’s vendor number is 004795 and expires 12/10/2026.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement with the Community Shelter Board in an amount up to $13,075,000.00 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, 2026; to authorize the appropriation and expenditure in an amount up to $4,000,000.00 within the Neighborhood Partnerships Capital Fund at this time only $3,654,654.64 is available the additional $345,345.36 will be received near the end of May and at that time should be appropriated and an ACPO should be established for use for this agreement; to authorize the expenditure in an amount up to $13,075,000.00; to authorize the payment for reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverages as they are an integral part of their operational costs; to allow funding to be advanced to the agency on a predetermined schedule; and to declare an emergency. ($13,075,000.00)
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 five initiatives: Continuum of Care Application, Crisis Response, Outreach Services, Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Services, Safety Net Program, as well as funding the Tenant Based Rental Assistance and providing operational support for the Resilient Housing Initiative; 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 $13,075,000.00 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, 2026; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance authorizes the appropriation and expenditure in an amount up to $4,000,000.00 within the Neighborhood Partnerships Capital fund and the expenditure in an amount up to $9,075,000.00 from within the General Fund for a total amount up to $13,075,000.00; and
WHEREAS, only $3,365,365.64 is available at this time to appropriate and expend within the Neighborhood Partnerships Capital Fund the additional $345,345.36 will be available by the end of May and should be appropriated and established on an ACPO for this agreement.
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council acknowledges and defines the purchase of food and non-alcoholic beverages as “operating costs”, to serve the public purpose for populations experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity and food insecurity.
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 $13,075,000.00 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 in an amount up to $13,075,000.00, ending December 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 appropriation in an amount up to $4,000,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized within Fund 7790 (Neighborhood Partnerships Capital), Dept.-Div 44-12 (Housing Stability), Object Class 06 (Capital) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance. $3,654,654.64 is available now to appropriate and the remaining $345,345.36 will be available sometime near the end of May and is authorized to be appropriated and an ACPO will be established at that time for the remainder of the agreement.
SECTION 4. That for the purpose as stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $4,000,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 7790 (Neighborhood Partnerships Capital fund), Dept-Div 44-12 (Housing Stability), in object class 06 (Capital) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That for the purpose as stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $9,075,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 1000 (General Fund) ), Subfund 100010 (General Fund), Dept-Div 44-12 (Housing Stability), 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 the purchase of food and non-alcoholic beverages as “operating costs” associated with the provision of services to populations experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity and food insecurity constitutes a proper public purpose and is hereby authorized.
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.