Explanation
1. Background
To authorize the Director of Development to enter into multiple subrecipient agreements with organizations to provide rental and utility assistance and housing stability services to residents in the local area who qualify for the assistance as provided in the laws, regulations, and other guidance provided by the U. S. Department of Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance 1 (ERA 1) program, providing for expenses starting January 1, 2021. The amount anticipated to be awarded to organizations is up to $10,711,312.20.
Organizations selected to receive these funds will be selected through an application process to be conducted by the Department of Development. The Notice of Financial Award (NOFA) will be issued via direct email to agencies and to partners to send to their networks of agencies, a City press release, and on the City’s website. The City will receive and review proposals in July 2021 and anticipate awarding funding to qualified vendors in August 2021.
Because of the timing of NOFA and the pending City Council break in August, the Director of Development is requesting City Council approval to enter into subrecipient agreements selected as part of this process immediately after all applications have been evaluated and organizations selected.
Ordinance 0284-2021 authorized the City of Columbus to accept and appropriate $26,822,803.20 of federal Emergency Rental Assistance 1 program funds, as passed by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. To date, approximately $16M of ERA1 funds have been allocated to three subrecipients and this ordinance seeks to allocate the remaining funds. The purpose of the current NOFA is to find and award funding to organizations who are able to provide outreach and intake services to hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations experiencing housing instability.
Selected organizations will manage a program to provide rental and utility assistance, and housing stability services, to residents in the...
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