Agenda Item # 3
Columbus Consolidated Government
Council Meeting
July 28, 2015
Agenda Report # 08
TO: Mayor and Councilors
SUBJECT: Allocation of HOME funds for a Tenant Based Rental Assistance
Program (TBRA)
INITIATED BY: Laura McCool, Community Reinvestment Division Manager
Recommendation: Approval is requested to authorize the City Manager 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 $262,350 to administer a Tenant Based Rental Assistance
Program (TBRA). The TBRA program will provide rental assistance to fifteen (15)
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.
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 $262,350 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 July 31, 2015.
Legal Considerations: The City Attorney has reviewed and approved the proposed
HOME Written Agreement.
Recommendations: Approve a resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter
into a HOME Written Agreement, between the Columbus Consolidated Government and
Open Door Community House, to award $262,350 for the Tenant Based Rental
Assistance (TBRA) Program.
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 $262,350 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 has agreed to administer a Tenant
Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus will provide $262,350 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 a minimum of
fifteen (15) homeless individuals or families.
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 $262,350 in HOME funds for
the administration of a Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program to
provide rental assistance to fifteen (15) 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 ________ 2015, and adopted at said meeting by the
affirmative vote of ____________ members of said Council.
Councilor Allen voting __________.
Councilor Baker voting __________.
Councilor Barnes voting __________.
Councilor Buck voting __________.
Councilor Davis 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
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