Explanation
BACKGROUND
In the Fall of 2019, President Pro Tempore Elizabeth Brown, the Mayor’s Office, and the Columbus Women’s Commission were awarded a CityStart grant from Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) supporting the creation of a Financial Empowerment Roadmap to help women and families achieve financial security.
Since then, the city has partnered with CFE Fund on a variety of programs to support Columbus women’s and families’ financial stability. The CFE Fund awarded Columbus a $150,000 grant for 2022 to plan and launch a Financial Empowerment Center (FEC). Additional funds supporting the Columbus FEC are anticipated for 2023.
In 2021, Columbus issued a Request for Proposals (RFQ019295) for the launch of a Financial Empowerment Center, and received two responsive proposals. An evaluation committee reviewed and scored both proposals and recommended that the Department of Development enter into contract with Jewish Family Service of Columbus (JFS).
JFS hired and trained three financial counselors and planned a launch in collaboration with the Department of Development, President Pro Tempore Elizabeth Brown, and the Columbus Women’s Commission. The Financial Empowerment Center launched in April of 2022 and has grown to supporting over a hundred clients since then, helping Columbus residents pay down thousands of dollars in debt and to set aside even more in savings.
This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to do a third modification to a non-profit services contract with Jewish Family Service of Columbus to extend the time frame of the existing contract to expire June 30, 2024.
Columbus City Council voted on December 6, 2021 to pass Ordinance Number 3272-2021, which authorized the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a non-profit services contract with Jewish Family Service to plan the launch and of and operate a financial empowerment center in Columbus. Ordinance 3406-2022 was a seco...
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