Explanation
The purpose of this ordinance is to authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Huckleberry House, Inc. in support of its Teen Crisis Program and Shelter. This ordinance authorizes an upfront payment to Huckleberry House, Inc. to support these efforts. Huckleberry House, Inc. does not currently have sufficient funds on-hand to await reimbursement for expenses incurred for this program and shelter.
Huckleberry House, Inc. is an organization that has supported runaway and at-risk youth since 1970. It is seeking continued support for its Teen Crisis Shelter, serving runaway and at-risk youth, ages 12-17, and their families. The Teen Crisis Shelter is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. Any young person, age 12-17, can walk through the doors to find a safe place and a caring adult. Most often, youth seek shelter at Huckleberry House, Inc. because of a crisis in the family. Over the last 54 years, the needs of the youth in our community have changed. The youth they serve demonstrate significant mental health challenges, are adversely affected by the trauma they have experienced in their home or in the community, and lack the ability to successfully deal with anxiety, fear, and anger. Huckleberry House’s program provides safe and stable shelter, hygiene items, clothing, and food ensuring basic needs are met. Then, the youth participate in 1:1, group, and when possible, family counseling. Often, a Crisis Plan is written with specific goals and objectives. The goal is family reunification, if possible. If it is not, then their staff works to find safe and stable housing for that youth, to ensure they remain housed and off of the streets.
The Teen Crisis Shelter is the only shelter for unaccompanied minors in central Ohio. In 2024, 92% of the young people served in the Crisis Shelter were able to return to safe and appropriate housing. In 2024, they served 404 unduplicated youth, and the average stay was six days. In the 4th quarter, of the 85 young people who stayed in the shelter long enough to develop a Crisis Plan, 84 of them made progress on their plan, meaning they worked with their counselor or case manager on anger management, issues around anxiety, family trauma, etc. Huckleberry House, Inc. does an extensive intake and exit process with each young person it serves utilizing a client medical record to track all data. Outcomes tracked include: total number of clients served; percentage of youth who transition to safe/stable housing; and, the number of hours of mental health support/life skills training provided.
This funding will help allow for continued operation of this program and the crisis shelter, and City Council is proposing $100,000.00 for this purpose.
FISCAL IMPACT: $100,000.00 is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund for this purpose.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: An emergency designation is requested in order for Huckleberry House, Inc. to ensure no interruption to crisis shelter operations.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Huckleberry House, Inc. in support of its Teen Crisis Program and Shelter; to authorize an appropriation of $60,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; to authorize the expenditure of $100,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency ($100,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, there is need to provide support and resources to our city’s runaway and at-risk youth population; and
WHEREAS, Huckleberry House, Inc. is an organization that has supported runaway and at-risk youth since 1970; and
WHEREAS, the organization runs the Teen Crisis Program and Shelter to provide for these needs; and
WHEREAS, Council is proposing support of $100,000.00 in support of these programs; and
WHEREAS, $100,000.00 is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund for this purpose; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City Clerk's Office in that it is necessary for the Clerk to enter into a contract immediately with Huckleberry House, Inc. to sustain the current operations in effect, 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 Huckleberry House, Inc. in support of its Teen Crisis Program and Shelter.
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $60,000.00 in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, to Columbus City Council per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $100,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the action authorized in SECTION 1, is hereby authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. 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 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 ordinance.
SECTION 6. 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.