COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Franklin County Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve four grants allocating more than $33 million to rent and utility aid for county residents.
The grants, totaling $33,737,156, are part of $50.6 million in reallocated Emergency Rental Assistance funding secured by the county from the federal government in recent months.
In a press release, the commissioners said Franklin County eviction filings are trending higher in 2023 than in any other recent year.
The money will be divided between the Homeless Families Foundation, IMPACT Community Action, the Legal Aid Society of Columbus, and the commissioners’ own Job and Family Services agency.
The county’s Job and Family Services emergency rental assistance can cover past payments as well as up to three months of prospective rent for families with a minor child or pregnant person in the household. IMPACT Community Action will use its funding to provide rental and utilities assistance to households, while the Legal Aid Society will be providing legal assistance to tenants who are already facing eviction. The Homeless Families Foundation administers the Resiliency Bridge initiative, a program that provides workforce development and other services in addition to rental assistance to help its clients work toward a more stable living situation.
Franklin County received a total nearing $89 million from the federal government for rental assistance, including $55.6 million this year that was reallocated from other jurisdictions that did not disburse their own money.
Residents in need of assistance can visit the county’s job and family services website or Rentful.614 to find the appropriate services.