Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to execute a Grant Agreement, in an amount up to $400,000.00 of federal Emergency Rental Assistance 2 funds, with Columbus State Community College (CSCC) for the provision of funding housing-focused case management positions within its Success Bridge program for a period from August 1, 2023, to September 30, 2025.
Ordinance 2275-2021 authorizes the City of Columbus to accept and appropriate up to $90,537,806.23 of federal Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA 2) program funds, as passed by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. Federal guidelines allows for payment of eligible expenses starting March 3, 2021.
Funding of case management positions at CSCC is part of the department’s plan to expend the remaining ERA 2 funds. City Council recently approved Ordinance 1569-2023 to expend $25 million to assist eligible recipients with funding to pay for rent, utility companies, and other service providers so they can remain in their home. This agreement will compliment those funds by providing funding for case managers to support at-risk students at CSCC.
The Success Bridge program is in its second phase of programming and focuses on providing a pathway to long-term sustainability for at-risk college students. The Success Bridge Program provides housing instable students housing counseling, success coaching, and connections to emergency rental assistance. The program also supports Columbus State students by providing access to housing services so they can complete their degrees and expand economic mobility after graduation. The program will prioritize Columbus Promise students, within the criteria of the program, to assist them in having stable housing to completing their degree.
Emergency action is necessary as the eviction and housing instability rate has reached historic levels and access to these resources are needed by students before classes begin in the a...
Click here for full text