Columbus may use CARES Act money to help fund city’s human services groups

COLUMBUS (WCMH) — The City of Columbus will consider awarding $15.2 million from its CARES Act to human service organizations that were hit hard due to COVID-19.

Many of these organizations have been operating on the bare minimum, to support this community.

The demand on non-profits that help to feed, house, and employ the people of Columbus has shot up since COVID-19. City Council president Shannon Hardin says they have accomplished that task of meeting our community’s needs despite losing money… but now help may be on the way.

“The more than 84 health and human services never stopped providing education, never stopped providing care, never stopped providing support,” said the President and CEO of the Center for Healthy Families Toshia Safford.

What did stop, or at least slow down, was the money needed to keep these organizations afloat.

Safford said COVID-19 hit them hard like many other human service organizations.

 “Eighty-four percent of us experienced a revenue loss, and 20 percent of our agencies had to furlough or layoff staff,” said Safford.

Some of that revenue went away because of the city received little to no money from the bed tax, which comes from visitors staying at hotels and motels in Columbus.

COVID-19 either canceled or drastically changed events which slowed travel and the need for hotel stays, like the Arnold Classic back in March.

Now Columbus City Council will consider legislation that authorizes $2.2 million of the CARES Act money it received to fully fund these 44 Human Service Programs that missed out on the bed tax and were competitively selected for a 2-year grant in 2019, but they are not stopping there.

“We’ve asking City Council to consider legislation that provides an additional $15 million for a human service COVID support grant fund,” said Mayor Andrew Ginther.

The grants will be focused on providing access to people’s basic needs as well as increasing what Columbus Human Service providers can do.

Safford added many of these families have been hurting since before this pandemic.

“These impacts did not begin with the coronavirus and are just another manifestation of the deadly outcomes of systemic poverty in all its forms, and racism that is deeply rooted in our nation’s history,” said Safford. “I am hopeful that this will make a difference for all families and reach those disproportionately impacted by where they lived and by the color of their skin.”

Now there’s hope that the organizations which supports this community will get the much needed help to continue their work.

Ginther said they will release information on how these human service organizations can apply for that $15 million grant opportunity sometime soon.

City Council will take these matters up at its council meeting on June 15.