Explanation
BACKGROUND:
Under Title XII of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is allocating $1.5 billion for communities to provide financial assistance and services to either prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless or help those who are experiencing homelessness to be quickly re-housed and stabilized. This federal funding creates the grant referred to as the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP).
As a result of HUD using their Emergency Shelter Grant formula, the city of Columbus was awarded $2,642,649 of HPRP funds from HUD. This funding requires that the City of Columbus submit to HUD an HPRP application and make a substantial amendment to the city's Consolidated Plan 2008 Action Plan.
The City of Columbus and Franklin County are collaborating to fund HPRP initiatives that benefit both the city and county. We have agreed to combine our allocations and work through the Rebuilding Lives Funder Collaborative (RLFC) and Community Shelter Board (CSB). RLFC and CSB have established collaborative teams to design effective services and systems to implement HPRP in our community. CSB will then make awards to subgrantees, selected through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process called CSB Gateway, with funds to provide homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing services.
The HPRP City of Columbus grant application to HUD can be seen on the city's website. On April 29, 2009, a 12 day public notice was placed on this website, and in the Columbus Dispatch. Citizens, public agencies and other interested parties may make public comments to the city on the HPRP grant application through May 11, 2009. In addition, the application will be presented at the Health, Housing and Human Services Committee hearing on May 6, 2009 where public testimony will be accepted.
HUD requires that the city submit an application no later than May 18, 2009. Emergency legislation is needed to satisfy HUD's short grant application period. This legislation authorizes the city to submit an HPRP application to HUD and to make a substantial amendment to the city's Consolidated Plan's 2008 Action Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This HPRP grant application is for $2,642,649. The city will contract with the Community Shelter Board (CSB) to implement the HPRP in our community. The city must obligate funds to the CSB by September 30, 2009. 60 percent of the HPRP funds must be expended within two years of the HUD grant agreement, and 100 percent of the funds must be expended within three years.
Title
To adopt the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program; to authorize the filing of the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program application with the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and to make a substantial amendment to the Consolidated Plan's 2008 Action Plan; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 authorizes the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to allocate $1.5 billion nationally for communities to provide financial assistance and services to either prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless or help those who are experiencing homelessness to be quickly re-housed and stabilized; and
WHEREAS, HUD's newly developed Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) will provide homelessness prevention and assistance grant funds to the city; and
WHEREAS, the city of Columbus has developed an HPRP grant application, which provides for the city of Columbus and Franklin County to collaborate in the funding of HPRP initiatives that benefit both the city and county in providing homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing services; and
WHEREAS, the city of Columbus has received an HPRP grant award of $2,642,649 from HUD; and
WHEREAS, the HPRP application requires a substantial amendment to the 2008 Action Plan which implements the city of Columbus' five year Consolidated Plan; and
WHEREAS, HUD must receive the city of Columbus' HPRP grant application by the deadline of May 18, 2009; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exits in the usual daily operation of the Department of Finance and Managment in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the filing of thee Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in order to meet the grant application deadline thereby preserving the public health, peace, safety, and welfare; now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1: That the city of Columbus hereby adopts the recommended Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, as set forth in the attachment "ORD0671-2009HPRPapplication".
SECTION 2: That the city of Columbus Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program application, as provided for under Title XII of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, is hereby approved, and that the Mayor, acting on behalf of the City of Columbus, is hereby authorized and directed to file such application with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and make a substantial amendment to the Consolidated Plan's 2008 Action Plan.
SECTION 3: That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is 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.