Explanation
This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a contract with Stout Risius Ross, LLC (Stout) in an amount up to $100,000.00 in support of a cost-benefit analysis study for tenants facing eviction in the City of Columbus.
Stout professionals have expertise in strategy consulting, strategy implementation, impact analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and program evaluation involving a variety of socio-economic issues, including issues of, or related to, access to justice and the needs of low-income individuals and at-risk communities. They have direct experience and expertise with analyses related to housing issues, such as ground-breaking cost-benefit analyses for expanded legal representation in eviction cases, analyses of the sufficiency of housing subsidies, analyses of eviction outcomes and trends, and analyses of trends and issues in public housing conditions.
Stout has served dozens of legal aid organizations across the United States in a wide variety of strategic, financial, economic and other matters. Stout, in collaboration with the County and the City, local legal aid providers, and other interested parties, will conduct research and data gathering regarding the impacts of eviction on low-income tenants and the County and the City (separately) as well as the benefits that could be realized if low-income tenants were represented in eviction proceedings in the County and the City. The objective of the engagement is to quantify the costs and benefits, where possible, to calculate an expected return on investment, for both the County and the City, separately.
A waiver of competitive bidding is requested because Stout Risius Ross, LLC has a proven track record working with municipalities across the country on the study and analysis of tenants facing an eviction.
Emergency Designation: Emergency action is requested to ensure that Stout can immediately begin providing analysis at eviction court on behalf of Colu...
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