January 27, 2003

Letter to the Editor

Thanks to the dedication and funding commitments of the City of Columbus and the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, Columbus will remain a national leader in its efforts to address homelessness.

The economic uncertainty of the past two years has significantly impacted business, governments and some of our poorest neighbors. As a result, more families and individuals are in need of housing related services from the Community Shelter Board and its 17 partner agencies.

The strong leadership demonstrated by Columbus City Council and the Franklin County Board of Commissioners to provide additional funding to the Community Shelter Board will enable our community to continue to address homelessness by providing our most vulnerable citizens with access to a safety net of prevention, shelter and housing programs. These programs work to reconnect citizens to the community in meaningful ways and literally rebuild the lives of our neighbors.

Though CSB and its partner agencies will still have to make cuts, the increased investments from the City and County will enable CSB to ensure that there is an open door to shelter for those in need and to sustain existing housing units for some of the hardest to house individuals in our community. We are indeed fortunate to live in a city where our public officials “walk the talk” when it comes to supporting health and human services.

Sincerely,

Timothy T. Miller, Chair

Board of Trustees

Community Shelter Board

Summary of 2003 Franklin County Funding

Community Shelter Board and Rebuilding Lives

	2002 Contract	2003 Request	Approved (2)	Variance to Request	% Variance
CSB Safety Net Programs	820,911	1,055,809	820,911	(234,898)	-22%
(Prevention, Shelter, Outreach, Housing Resources)
Rebuilding Lives (1)	825,000	849,750	775,000	(74,750)	-9%
(Supportive Housing & Shelter Re-Configuration)
TOTAL	1,645,911	1,905,559	1,595,911	(309,648)	-16%

(1) 2002 Contract included $500,000 TANF and $325,000 General Funds
(2) Per 11/12/2002 Commissioner budget approval. Includes $115,000 in CDBG Funds.

Summary of 2003 City of Columbus Funding

Community Shelter Board and Rebuilding Lives

	2002 Contract	2003 Request	Approved (2)	Variance to Request	% Variance
CSB Safety Net Programs
(Prevention, Shelter, Outreach, Housing Resources)	2,051,000	2,051,000	2,051,000⁽³⁾	0	0%
Rebuilding Lives	770,781⁽¹⁾	849,750	625,000	(224,750)	-26%
(Supportive Housing & Shelter Re-Configuration)
TOTAL	2,821,781	2,900,750	2,676,000	(224,750)	-8%

(1) RL 2002 – 2 contracts were in effect: a) FY2000 contract through 6/30/02, $445,781 spent in 2002 and b) 7/1/02 $325,000 General Funds
(2) RL funding to be $505,000 General Fund, $120,000 HOME rent subsidy.
(3) Includes $420,000 CDBG funding for Homelessness Prevention.

Impact on Community Shelter Board and Programs Funded by the Community Shelter Board

Safety Net Programs

· No reduction in shelter capacity.

· Inadequate funding for Homelessness Prevention – fewer households avert homelessness – potential for more homeless on the streets;

· Some reduction of funding for housing services like Family Housing Collaborative, Housing Resource Specialists, and Street Outreach – increased length of shelter stay due to reduced ability to quickly locate housing – more people on the street since they will not be able to access shelter;

· Eliminate the Technical Assistance Fund – reduced capacity to assist agencies address critical program and administrative needs;

· Eliminate the Translation Services Fund – ineffective service delivery to LEP families; and

Rebuilding Lives Programs

· No reduction of units of permanent supportive housing.

· No reduction in capacity at Maryhaven Engagement Center or Faith Mission on 8^th Avenue.

· Some reduction of services at Resource Centers at Faith Mission, Friends of the Homeless, and Volunteers of America – increased length of shelter stay due to reduced ability to locate job and housing – more people on the street since they will not be able to access shelter;

· Some reduction of funding for direct client assistance to homeless persons living outdoors to move into housing – more people on the street;

· Elimination of two CSB staff positions to provide agency capacity building, conduct program evaluations and assist with program coordination/collaboration.