| COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEDIA RELEASE For Immediate Release: December 9, 2010 For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 |
Mentel Sponsoring Emergency Funding for
Community Shelter Board
$300,000 scheduled to help immediately address overflow at homeless shelters and provide additional resources for 2011
(Columbus)—As Columbus residents prepare for single-digit temperatures, Columbus City Council President Michael C. Mentel is planning to introduce emergency legislation on Monday that will immediately transfer $300,000 from the City’s general fund to the Community Shelter Board (CSB) to help protect homeless families and individuals from the severe weather.
“We are barely past the first week of December and our shelters are already facing a crisis that will impact their ability to provide quality of care for the rest of the winter,” said President Mentel. “This demand is straining the Shelter Board’s resources and something needs to be done to make sure they can continue to deliver help to homeless men, women and children in the months to come.”
According to statistics provided by CSB, through November of this year, families seeking emergency housing beyond the capacity of existing shelters produced an alarming 3,757% increase in family overflow shelter nights as compared to the entire calendar year in 2009 (2160 shelter nights compared to 56). Furthermore, single adult overflow in October and November of 2010 increased 41% compared to the same time period in 2009 (3344 shelter nights compared to 2366).
“Columbus has always been known as a compassionate city willing to provide a helping hand to our fellow residents who are in distress. I truly believe that all of us who assist the Shelter Board in accomplishing their mission, from volunteers to corporate donors, are helping make the difference between life and death for some on our streets,” said President Mentel. “I would like to thank Auditor Hugh J. Dorrian for his vital help in identifying the emergency funding, as well as the Department of Development for modifying our existing contract with the Shelter Board to make this legislation possible.”
“Our vulnerable neighbors, pushed to the brink by a harsh economy, cannot wait out the recession before our community acts,” said CSB Executive Director Michelle Heritage Ward. “This response from President Mentel is a testament to the excellent leadership and support our City officials have always shown. We are very grateful that our government leaders are champions for basic needs, investing in ending homelessness and rebuilding lives.”
The Community Shelter Board, established in 1986, is a public-private partnership organization that creates collaborations, innovates solutions, and invests in quality programs in order to end homelessness in Columbus and Franklin County. CSB allocates over $13 million annually to support homeless programs and services. Last year, these programs served more than 8,000 individuals. CSB is funded by the City of Columbus, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, the United Way of Central Ohio, The Columbus Foundation, Nationwide, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the State of Ohio, and other public and private donors.
For more information or to make a donation, visit www.csb.org.
-30-
