Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to enter into Beneficiary Agreements with Young Women’s Christian Association (YMCA), in an amount up to $150,000.00, and Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS), in an amount up to $150,000.00, using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support and increase the organizational capacity of non-profit organizations that experienced revenue losses such as cancelled fundraising events, decreases in donor support, and increased expenditures such as PPE, virtual meeting licenses, and related hardware caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ordinance 1201-2021 authorized the City of Columbus to accept and appropriate approximately $187,030,138.00 of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds as signed into law by the President of the United States on March 11, 2021.
The Notice of Financial Award (NOFA) was advertised from April 22, 2022, through May 13, 2022, on the City’s Website (Dept. of Development webpage), the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County’s website, and by press release. The City received 86 proposals for $9,875,000.00 in requests. Forty-eight community agencies were recommended for the $5,000,000.00 in available funding. Forty-five community agencies are listed in Ordinance 2070-2022, one community is listed in Ordinance 2084-2022, and two community agencies are included in this ordinance. Pending future funding availability and City Council approval, these Beneficiary Agreements may be renewed for two additional years.
The City of Columbus continues to see increases in the number of residents who lack access to affordable housing. Advocates report that anywhere between 300-600 people are living unsheltered in Columbus every day; the majority desire safe and affordable housing. Additionally, infant mortality rates in Columbus and Franklin County remain alarmingly high for black babies. Immigrants and refugees relocate to Colu...
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