Applications are being accepted starting today for emergency rental assistance from both Franklin County Job and Family Services and IMPACT Community Action.
Renters seeking assistance can go to jfs.franklincountyohio.gov for information on the new county-administered grant money, which is available to those at 165%, 200% or 300% of the poverty level.
Information on applying for the IMPACT Community Action funds is available at www.impactca.org. The City of Columbus and Franklin County, as well as local nonprofit organizations and businesses, contributed a total of $4.5 million to the eviction prevention program, known as the HOPE Fund.
Franklin County Commissioners voted last month to approve $2.1 million from the federal CARES Act for the Franklin County Job and Family Services fund, which is now called the PRC Plus Rental Assistance Program. The initial PRC (Prevention, Retention and Contingency) fund was launched on April 2 but was exhausted within 24 hours.
The new program runs from June 1 through September 30, “or until funding is exhausted,” according to the website.
In addition to the money allocated for the HOPE Fund, the City of Columbus has also directed CARES Act funding to Community Mediation Services of Central Ohio and the Legal Aid Society of Columbus.
Hearings at the Franklin County Municipal Court were scheduled to restart today after being suspended on March 16. Because there was no moratorium on eviction filings during the time that hearings were suspended, advocates have been worried about a potential spike in evictions this summer.
For more information and resources concerning evictions in Columbus, see columbuslegalaid.org or communitymediation.com.