2021-32 - Authorize allocation of $1.68M in ARPA funds to LCSC

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The Interim Rule clearly establishes the provision of both emergency rent assistance and counseling to prevent eviction or homelessness for households adversely impacted by the pandemic who are at imminent risk of eviction and homelessness as eligible uses of ARPA Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. It further states ARPA funding recipients "may presume that a household or population that experienced unemployment or increased food or housing insecurity or is low - moderate income experienced negative economic impacts resulting from the pandemic." CARES Act Emergency Rent & Homelessness Prevention Assistance Utilizing City of Lakewood Emergency Solutions Grant -CARES Act (ESG-CV) and Community Development Block Grant -CARES Act (CDBG-CV) funds, Lakewood Community Services Center distributed $1,333,187 in Emergency Rent and Homelessness Prevention assistance to 740 low- and extremely -low income Lakewood households (1,381 individuals) over the past 10 months. Funding allocated from these sources to address housing insecurity is now completely exhausted. ARPA Emergency Rent Assistance Program Lakewood Community Services Center proposes utilizing $1,680,006 in City of Lakewood ARPA Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to provide Emergency Rent Assistance and supportive services for approximately 450 low- and extremely low-income Lakewood households (approximately 850 individuals) between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 categorized as follows. ■ Based on current caseloads and ongoing communication with Lakewood landlords, LCSC anticipates 250 households that received CARES Act rent assistance will require additional support. ■ The near simultaneous termination of Ohio's $300/week increase in unemployment benefits (June 26); and expiration of the Center for Disease Control's eviction moratorium (June 3 0) will immediately create severe housing instability among approximately 150 Lakewood families who have neither required nor sought LCSC rent assistance to date. ■ AIY Management has apprised LCSC regarding at least 50 low- and very -low income tenant households who face immediate eviction upon expiration of the CDC moratorium.