The Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority is receiving $21 million in federal money for emergency housing vouchers to help nearly 300 homeless families.
The annual point-in-time count of homeless people in Columbus and Franklin County emergency shelters showed an 18% decrease over the past year, which an official attributed to the eviction moratorium and enhanced unemployment benefits and stimulus checks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number of people in shelters the night of Jan. 27 was 1,201, down 265 from the 1,466 the year before, said Michelle Heritage, executive director of the Community Shelter Board.
That includes a decrease in the number of family members too, from 555 to 391. Family members include any adults and children under 18. We think this eviction moratorium has had a positive impact, Heritage said.
Columbus will be receiving $16.4 million and Franklin County $3.16 million toward affordable housing and services for homeless people, part of a total $204 million in federal money the state of Ohio and its local governments will be receiving overall. That s a good amount, said Bill Faith, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. This is a boost to the normal effort we get from the federal budget.
The money comes from $5 billion in money from the American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, being distributed through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The city receiving the most in Ohio is Cleveland with $17.7 million. Cincinnati is receiving $9.9 million. The state of Ohio itself is receiving $91 million.
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