Explanation
This ordinance authorizes a contract between Columbus City Council and The Ohio State University College of Social Work for the New Americans initiative.
The foreign-born population in Columbus continues to grow. According to a study by Community Research Partners, Columbus ranked second in percent of new foreign-born residents (those who came to the United States since 2000) compared to other major metropolitan areas. Since 1983, more than 16,000 refugees from around the world were resettled to the Columbus area.
The Somali Community Access Network estimates that Central Ohio was home to more than 45,000 Somali Americans in 2009, making it the second largest Somali population in the United States after Minneapolis, Minnesota. Currently, the Central Ohio region is home to approximately 23,427 Bhutanese refugees, the largest Bhutanese population in the United States. Due to secondary and tertiary migrations from other states, the number of refugee populations will continue to increase over the years. While the numbers of documented immigrants/refugees can be roughly estimated, it is difficult to project numbers for undocumented immigrants as well as, importantly, services that may or may not be available to them.
New Americans contribute to our community through cultural diversity, economic growth, and the overall well-being of central Ohio. With this increasing migration, the influx of people with a variety of traditions, values, skills, and expectations has implications for services and service providers. When immigrants move to a new social location, they face a myriad of hardships in adjusting to their new surroundings. Lack of employment and the lack of reliable social and education services such as housing, health-care, and schools, are some of the primary determinants of the overall well-being of immigrants.
The purpose of the New Americans Project is to conduct an in-depth assessment of needs, as well as the formal, informal, and volunteer services available in Central Ohio for New Americans in order to bolster the New Americans Initiative led by the City of Columbus. The study has the following as stated goals: to assess formal, informal, and volunteer services currently available to New Americans in Central Ohio; to identify specific gaps in service provision and utilization of services among New Americans; to identify differences in service access and utilization across New American populations; and to provide specific program and policy-based recommendations based on the assessment.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Title
To authorize City Council to enter into contract with The Ohio State University, College of Social Work, in support of the New Americans Initiative; and to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhoods Initiative subfund. ($40,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the foreign-born population of central Ohio continues to grow, with Columbus being ranked second in percentage of new foreign-born residents among major metropolitan cities; and
WHEREAS, these New Americans contribute greatly to the community through cultural diversity, economic growth, and the skills and values they bring with them to the United States and face hardships in adjusting to new surroundings and navigating the network of available support and social services; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the New Americans Initiative is to conduct an in-depth assessment of needs, as well as the formal, informal, and volunteer services available in Central Ohio for New Americans in order to bolster the New Americans Initiative led by the City of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, the study has the following as stated goals: to assess formal, informal, and volunteer services currently available to New Americans in Central Ohio; to identify specific gaps in service provision and utilization of services among New Americans; to identify differences in service access and utilization across New American populations; and to provide specific program and policy-based recommendations based on the assessment; and
WHEREAS, this Council deems it an appropriate use of funds to assist with the study to provide specific program and policy-based recommendations based on the assessment; and
WHEREAS, it has become necessary in the usual daily operation of the city to authorize City Council to enter into contract with The Ohio State University, College of Social Work, to conduct an in-depth assessment in order to better align the needs of the immigrant community to supportive services and to identify gaps where they may exist; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That City Council is hereby authorized to enter into contract with The Ohio State University, College of Social Work, for the New Americans initiative.
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $40,000.00 in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, to Columbus City Council, in Object Class 03 - Contractual Services, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
See Attached File: Ord 1331-2017 Legislation Template.xls
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $40,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the actions authorized in SECTION 1, is hereby authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, in Object Class 03 - Contractual Services, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
See Attached File: Ord 1331-2017 Legislation Template.xls
SECTION 4. That this contract is awarded pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 329 that relate to not-for-profit service contracts.
SECTION 5. 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 legislation.
SECTION 6. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.