Under Title XII of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is allocating $1.5 billion for communities to provide financial assistance and services to either prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless or help those who are experiencing homelessness to be quickly re-housed and stabilized.

Franklin County was awarded $746,920 of Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) funds from HUD. This funding requires that the county submit to HUD an HPRP application and make a substantial amendment to the county’s Consolidated Plan 2008 Action Plan.

Franklin County and the city of Columbus are collaborating to fund HPRP initiatives that benefit both the city and county. We have agreed to combine our allocations and work through the Rebuilding Lives Funder Collaborative (RLFC) and Community Shelter Board (CSB). RLFC and CSB have established collaborative teams to design effective services and systems to implement HPRP in our community. CSB will then make awards to subgrantees, selected through a Competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process called CSB Gateway, with funds to provide homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing services.

The HPRP Franklin County grant application public notice was published in the Columbus Dispatch on Sunday, April 26th, 2009. Citizens are invited to comment on the substantial amendment and the proposed HPRP legislation via the following venues:

• May 7th, Commission briefing - 9:00 a.m. in the Commissioners' Hearing Room on the 26th Floor of the Franklin County Courthouse located at 373 South High Street

• Contacting the County via e-mail (mspaxson@franklincountyohio.gov) or by telephone (614) 462-5578

This substantial amendment and the proposed HPRP legislation will be voted on at County Commissioners’ May 12, 2009, General Session at 9:00 a.m. in the Commissioners' Hearing Room on the 26th Floor of the Franklin County Courthouse located at 373 South High Street. If approved, the HPRP application will be submitted to HUD on May 18, 2009.

The Franklin County, Ohio Substantial Amendment to the Consolidated Plan 2008 Action Plan for the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP)