Explanation
This ordinance authorizes Columbus City Council to enter into a grant agreement with the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging (COAAA) in support of the organization’s senior housing stabilization efforts.
In recent Housing Stabilization Roundtables hosted by Columbus City Council and Age-Friendly Columbus, there have been many concerns and challenges shared by older adults in our community with regard to aging-in-place. In line with the Housing Stabilization Report, as well as the Age-Friendly Columbus Strategic Plan, Columbus City Council will fund $18,270.00 to support preventative efforts to reduce eviction, displacement, and homelessness for Columbus older adults. The focus is diversion, which is keeping older adults out of the shelter, as well as prevention, to keep from reaching a housing crisis.
The funding would support preventive measures for homelessness for Columbus residents 50 and older. The Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging (COAAA) has staff working daily on supporting older adults through housing crises. With staffing already in place, these funds would directly impact needs such as a missed rent or mortgage, rent or utility deposit, housing violation moving expenses, or other hardships related to maintaining safe housing that can lead to displacement. The experts working with these older adults would utilize the funds only as needed, pairing it with other resources and supports in the community. An assessment would be made to determine that one-time assistance, limited to $500.00, would stabilize the housing situation.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Emergency action is requested in order to immediately provide COAAA with the resources necessary to implement senior housing stabilization efforts.
Title
To authorize Columbus City Council to enter into a grant agreement with the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging in support of senior housing stabilization; to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($18,270.00)
Body
WHEREAS, recent Housing Stabilization Roundtables have provided a forum for older adults in the community to voice their concerns regarding the challenges of aging-in-place; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council will designate funding to COAAA in order to provide for an additional support mechanism to assist those older residents who face displacement or homelessness due to financial hardship; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily business of the city in that it is immediately necessary to authorize a grant agreement with COAAA in order to avoid any delay in initiating senior housing supports; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That Columbus City Council is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging in support of senior housing stabilization.
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $18,270.00 in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, to Columbus City Council per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $18,270.00 or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the action authorized in SECTION 1 of this ordinance, is hereby authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018 per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. 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.