Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement with the Healthcare Collaborative of Greater Columbus, fiscal sponsor for the Prevent Family Homelessness Collaborative, to support a Landlord/Property Manager Partnership Pilot for vulnerable residents of Columbus for a twelve-month period for a total amount of $25,000.00.
Family homelessness in Columbus and Franklin County has increased dramatically, more than doubling in the last five years. As a demand-response system, the family crisis response system has performed as designed, but is struggling to manage the increasing demand for sheltering these families. While we have a well-coordinated emergency shelter system, we do not have a coordinated homeless prevention system. The emergency shelter system is designed to operate as an “emergency room” for critical needs and is not equipped to support families before they become homeless. Any continued growth in demand for shelter services threatens our community’s ability to meet the needs of vulnerable and homeless families.
The Prevent Family Homelessness Collaborative emerged from the efforts of public and private sector leadership to prevent homelessness by stabilizing vulnerable children and their families through implementation of a plan that aligns resources to support self-sufficiency. The Collaborative’s goal is to reduce family homelessness by 50% by the end of 2021.
A key intervention in the Collaborative’s action plan is to reduce evictions by piloting a partnership model with landlords and their property managers. Participating landlords/property managers will:
• Help identify at-risk families and connect families with support services.
• Fulfill legally defined duties as landlord.
• Use forbearance agreements and mediation services to resolve conflicts.
• Help connect at-risk families with short-term financial assistance programs.
The primary measures of success are a reduced number of evictions filed from zip codes included in the pilot.
Emergency action is necessary to avoid causing interruptions in the delivery of program services.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding for this expenditure is allocated from the general fund ($25,000.00).
Title
To approve the funding request of Prevent Family Homelessness Collaborative seeking financial assistance to address an emergency human service need pursuant to Columbus City Code; to authorize the Director of Development to execute a grant agreement with the Healthcare Collaborative of Greater Columbus to support a Landlord/Property Manager Partnership Pilot; to authorize the expenditure of $25,000.00 from the general fund; and to declare an emergency. ($25,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Prevent Family Homelessness Collaborative has submitted a funding request seeking financial assistance to support a Landlord/Property Manager Partnership Pilot; and
WHEREAS, the Healthcare Collaborative of Greater Columbus will act as a fiscal sponsor for the Prevent Family Homelessness Collaborative,
WHEREAS, City Council is authorized to allocate funds annually to assist social service agencies in the city with the operating costs of delivering programs; and
WHEREAS, the Director of the Department of Development desires to enter into a grant agreement with the Healthcare Collaborative of Greater Columbus to support a Landlord/Property Manager Partnership Pilot; and
WHEREAS, the grant will be funded with general funds; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development in that it is immediately necessary to enter into a grant agreement with the Healthcare Collaborative of Greater Columbus to avoid causing interruptions in the delivery of program services, all for the preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the grant application of the agency identified in Section 2 seeking financial assistance to address an emergency human service need pursuant to Section 371.02 (c) of the Columbus City Codes, 1959, is hereby approved.
SECTION 2. That the Director of the Department of Development be and is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with the Healthcare Collaborative of Greater Columbus to support the Landlord/Property Manager Partnership Pilot of the Prevent Family Homelessness Collaborative.
SECTION 3. That for the purpose as stated in Section 2, the expenditure of $25,000.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary is hereby authorized in fund 1000 general fund, in Object Class 03 Contractual Services per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the expenditures authorized herein are in accordance with Section 371.02 (c) of the Columbus City Code.
SECTION 5. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 6. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby 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.