Explanation
BACKGROUND
This legislation authorizes the amendment of Ordinance No. 2012-2025, passed by Columbus City Council on July 28, 2025, which authorized the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement in the amount up to $3,033,898.00 with The Tony R. Wells Foundation dba The Wells Foundation, a non-profit corporation, to act as a Fiscal Manager for the disbursement of funds to eligible recipients as part of the department’s Columbus Resilient Housing Initiative (RHI). An amendment is required to update the amount of the grant to $2,761,076.15 and to supply reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverages for the purpose of increasing housing stability for vulnerable Columbus residents.
This agreement is needed as funding from the Emergency Rental Assistance2 program ends September 30, 2025, and the City has a need to continue to provide eviction and homelessness prevention services to vulnerable residents of Columbus. RHI will provide assistance to families facing severe housing instability or homelessness and will deploy Emergency Shelter diversion best practices such as the provision of rental, utility, and other necessary assistance to stabilize the participant household.
Tony R. Wells Foundation will act as fiscal manager for the RHI program to provide financial assistance to eligible Columbus residents. Disbursement of payments will be made directly to landlords, utility companies, and other service providers on behalf of eligible residents. RHI will be serving an estimated 500 households over a seven-month period as the contract will be from September 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026. There will be a need to advance funding on a predetermined schedule for this program.
Emergency action is requested to assist residents facing housing instability, eviction, or potential homelessness with emergency financial assistance.
Contract Compliance: the vendor number is 038668 and expires 5/22/2027.
Fiscal Impact: $2,761,076.15 is available within the Income Tax Set Aside funds (ITSA).
Title
To amend Ordinance No. 2012-2025, passed by Columbus City Council on July 28, 2025, to revise the amount of the authorized grant to $2,761,076.15; to supply reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverages; and declare an emergency. ($2,761,076.15)
Body
WHEREAS, the need exists to amend Ordinance No. 2012-2025, which was approved by Columbus City Council on July 28, 2025; and
WHEREAS, the ordnance authorized the Director of the Department of Development to enter into grant agreement in the amount up to $3,033,898.00 with The Tony R. Wells Foundation dba The Wells Foundation, a non-profit corporation, to act as a Fiscal Manager for the disbursement of funds to eligible recipients as part of the department’s Columbus Resilient Housing Initiative (RHI); and
WHEREAS, an amendment is required to update the amount of the grant to $2,761,076.15 and to supply reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverages; and
WHEREAS, the appropriation and expenditure in an amount up to $2,761,076.15 is authorized within the ITSA; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the daily operation of the Department of Development in that it is immediately necessary to amend Ordinance No. 2012-2025, approved by Council on July 28, 2025, to revise the amount of the grant with the Tony R. Wells Foundation and to supply reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverages to eligible recipients as part of the department’s Columbus Resilient Housing Initiative that provides rental, utility, and other services to residents facing housing instability, eviction, or potential homelessness, 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. Section 1 of Ordinance No. 2012-2025 is hereby amended to revise the amount of the grant with the Tony R. Wells Foundation and to supply reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverages as follows with additions underlined and deletions struck through:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Development is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with the Tony R. Wells Foundation to act as a fiscal manager for the disbursement of funds to eligible recipients of the department's Columbus Resilient Housing Initiative, in an amount of up to $3,033,898.00 $2,761,076.15 to provide rental, reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverages, utility, and other services to residents facing housing instability, eviction or potential homelessness in the area who qualify for assistance.
SECTION 2. That the existing Section 1. of Ordinance No 2012-2025 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 3. Section 2 of Ordinance No. 2012-2025 is hereby amended to revise the amount of the grant with the Tony R. Wells Foundation as follows with additions underlined and deletions struck through:
SECTION 2. That for the purpose stated in Section 1., the appropriation and expenditure in an amount up to $3,033,898.00 $2,761,076.15, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized within Income Tax Set Aside Subfund (100099), Dept_Div 44_12 (Housing Stability), in object class 05 (Other) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the existing Section 2. of Ordinance No 2012-2025 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 5. That the Background of Ordinance No. 2012-2025 is hereby amended to revise the amount of the grant with the Tony R. Wells Foundation and to supply reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverages as follows with additions underlined and deletions struck through:
BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Director of Development to enter into a grant agreement in the amount up to $3,033,898.00 $2,761,076.15 with The Tony R. Wells Foundation dba The Wells Foundation, a non-profit corporation, to act as a Fiscal Manager for the disbursement of funds to eligible recipients as part of the department’s Columbus Resilient Housing Initiative (RHI). This agreement is needed as funding from the Emergency Rental Assistance2 program ends September 30, 2025 and the city has a need to continue to provide eviction and homelessness prevention services to vulnerable residents of Columbus. The RHI program will provide rental, utility, and other services to residents facing housing instability, eviction, or potential homelessness in the area who qualify for assistance. This agreement will also supply reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverages for the purpose of increasing housing stability for vulnerable Columbus residents.
Tony R. Wells Foundation will act as fiscal manager for the RHI program to provide rental and utility assistance to residents in the local area who qualify for the assistance as determined by the applications manager Greenwood 360 LLC. Disbursement of payments will be made directly to landlords, utility companies, and other service providers on behalf of eligible recipients. RHI will be serving an estimated 600 households over a seven-month period as the contract will be from September 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026. There will be a need to advance funding on a predetermined schedule for this program.
Emergency action is requested to assist tenants facing housing instability, eviction, or potential homelessness with emergency rental assistance.
Contract Compliance: the vendor number is 038668 and expires 5/22/2027.
Fiscal Impact: $3,033,898.00 $2,761,076.15 is available within the Income Tax Set Aside funds (ITSA).
SECTION 6. That the existing Background of Ordinance No 2012-2025 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 7. That the Title of Ordinance No. 2012-2025 is hereby amended to revise the amount of the grant with the Tony R. Wells Foundation and to supply reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverages as follows with additions underlined and deletions struck through:
To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement in the amount up to $3,033,898.00 $2,761,076.15 with the Tony R. Wells Foundation dba The Wells Foundation to act as a Fiscal Manager for the disbursement of funds to eligible recipients of the Columbus Resilient Housing Initiative (RHI); to authorize the appropriation and expenditure in an amount up to $3,033,898.00 $2,761,076.15 within the Income Tax Set Aside (ITSA) Subfund; to authorize the advancement of funding on a predetermined schedule; to authorize the payment of eligible expenses beginning September 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026 the term of the contract; to supply reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverages; and to declare an emergency. ($3,033,898.00 $2,761,076.15)
SECTION 8. That the existing Title of Ordinance No 2012-2025 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 9. That the fourth Whereas statement of Ordinance No. 2012-2025 is hereby amended to revise the amount of the grant with the Tony R. Wells Foundation with additions underlined and deletions struck through:
WHEREAS, the appropriation and expenditure in an amount up to $3,033,898.00 $2,761,076.15 is authorized within the ITSA; and
SECTION 10. That the existing fourth Whereas statement of Ordinance No 2012-2025 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 11. That the agreement effective date begins September 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026 and the request to advance funds on a predetermined schedule is also authorized.
SECTION 12. 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 13. That this grant agreement is awarded in accordance with the relevant provisions of City Code related to awarding grant agreements.
SECTION 14. 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 15. 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 16. 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 which 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 it.