Housing Problem Solving

On April 1, 2024, the City of Columbus’ new Housing Resource Specialist program opened to provide housing problem-solving assistance to residents who are vulnerable to literal homelessness.

This adjusts the City’s Emergency Rental Assistance program from a pandemic-focused eviction mitigation program to a program that diverts households away from literal homelessness. The approach is based on national homelessness prevention best practices. The more narrow eligibility for rental assistance funding is intended to target the limited remaining federal rent assistance funds to those at the greatest risk of homelessness. Not all residents who are facing an imminent eviction will qualify for rental assistance.

Additional information on the problem-solving services that are available, and the local nonprofit organizations offering these supports, is available on Rentful614 at https://www.rentful614.com/solvers.