Agenda Item # 4

Columbus Consolidated Government
Council Meeting

September 13, 2016

Agenda Report # 36

TO: Mayor and Councilors

SUBJECT: Allocation of HOME funds for a Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program (TBRA)

INITIATED BY: Community Reinvestment Department

Recommendation: Approval is requested to enter into a HOME Written Agreement, between the Columbus Consolidated Government and Open Door Community House, to award Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds in the amount of $80,000 to administer a Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program (TBRA). The TBRA program will provide rental assistance to five (5) or more individuals or families in Columbus who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The clients are able to receive assistance for up to 2 years.

Background: The City of Columbus and Open Door Community House has formed this strategic partnership to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing to individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has adopted the Housing First approach that emphasizes stable, permanent housing as a primary strategy for ending homelessness. Housing First is an approach to ending homelessness that centers on providing people experiencing homelessness with housing as quickly as possible – and then providing services as needed. This approach has the benefit of being consistent with what most people experiencing homelessness want and seek help to achieve. The City and Open Door Community House have identified, through their various programs, that providing permanent housing for the homeless is an urgent need within our community. Open Door Community House is currently housing nineteen (19) individuals or families utilizing this program.

Analysis: The Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program will target families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The program can assist these individuals or families by providing utility deposits, security deposits, and rental subsidies for up to two (2) years. The program will help the homeless, or those at risk of becoming homeless, find permanent housing. They will also receive case management to assist them with finding the services they may need to prevent them from becoming homeless again in the future.

Financial Considerations: The City will provide $80,000 in HOME funds to carry out the program for two (2) years. The HOME funding is from prior years grant allocations that were not utilized and will expire if not committed to a project by September 30, 2016.

Legal Considerations: The City Attorney will review and approve the proposed HOME Written Agreement prior to obtaining signatures.

Recommendations: Approval is requested to enter into a HOME Written Agreement, between the Columbus Consolidated Government and Open Door Community House, to award $80,000 for the Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program.

A RESOLUTION
NO. ________

A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A WRITTEN AGREEMENT WITH OPEN DOOR COMMUNITY HOUSE TO ADMINISTER A TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (TBRA) PROGRAM AND TO AWARD HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (HOME) FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $80,000 TO PROVIDE RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES.

WHEREAS, Open Door Community House's mission is to empower impoverished people in our community to realize their full potential as children of God; and,

WHEREAS, the City of Columbus finds it necessary fund a program to assist homeless individuals and families to find decent, safe and sanitary housing; and,

WHEREAS, Open Door Community House administers a Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program and is currently assisting nineteen (19) clients; and,

WHEREAS, the City of Columbus will provide $80,000 in Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds for the Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program; and,

WHEREAS, Open Door Community House has agreed to assist an additional (5) five or more homeless individuals or families for up to 2 years.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:

That the City Manager is hereby authorized to enter into a written agreement with Open Door Community House to utilize $80,000 in HOME funds for the administration of a Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program to provide rental assistance to an additional (5) five homeless, or at risk of being homeless, individuals or families.


_____________________________

Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia, held the _________ day of _____________, 2016 and adopted at said meeting by the affirmative vote of ____________ members of said Council.


Councilor Allen voting __________.
Councilor Baker voting __________.
Councilor Barnes voting __________.
Councilor Davis voting __________.
Councilor Garrett voting __________.
Councilor Henderson voting __________.
Councilor Huff voting __________.
Councilor Thomas voting __________.
Councilor Turner Pugh voting __________.
Councilor Woodson voting __________.




_______________________________ ____________________________
Tiny B. Washington, Clerk of Council Teresa Pike Tomlinson, Mayor