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
Attachments
No attachments for this document.