Another $6.5 million could be headed for rental assistance in Cobb
Sep. 24—Cobb's Board of Commissioners will vote next week on whether to allocate another $6.5 million to its ongoing rental assistance program.
If approved, the funding would add to tens of millions in federal cash directed to rental assistance over the course of the pandemic.
Cobb's previous rental assistance programs have come from several sources. The first, created in 2020, was drawn from the roughly $132 million Cobb received from the federal government under the CARES Act.
Commissioners then approved in February accepting another $23 million in aid (known as 'ERA 1'), also courtesy of the federal government. An initially slow rollout of the program was blamed on stringent federal guidelines, but by mid-September the county announced it had distributed over two-thirds of that money.
Other rental-related spending items have included $680,000 for Cobb Legal Aid to provide support in landlord-tenant legal disputes, and $1.78 million in federal funds to beef up staffing in the Cobb Magistrate Court, which oversees evictions.
The latest $6.5 million comes as a subsidiary of the American Rescue Plan Act, passed by Congress earlier this year. 'ERA 2' funds will be available to the county through 2025, but county spokesperson Ross Cavitt said as Cobb uses up the ERA 1 funds, commissioners will consider the new allocation to continue the program.
As with ERA 1, the funds will be split equally among five non-profits: STAR-C, HomeFree, Sweetwater Mission, MUST Ministries, and the Center for Family Resources. Each group will receive $1.15 million along with a 10% administrative fee. Consultant WFN will receive just shy of $200,000 to help dole out the assistance.
In other business, the board will consider the following items:
— The beginning of contract negotiations with consulting firms Accenture, Berry/Dunn, and Raftelis/The Novak Consulting Group to help the county develop a "comprehensive strategic plan." The consultants' proposals were ranked in the above order. The plan, according to an agenda item prepared by Deputy County Manager Jimmy Gisi, "will include measurable objectives to help improve the County's responsiveness to the public, to adapt to changes in the economy, to remain competitive, to welcome tourists, to sustain the County's assets, and to recommend a unified vision for years to come."
— A $400,000 consulting contract with Parsons Transportation Group to continue developing a road grade separation at the intersection of Windy Hill Road and Cobb Parkway. The county hopes to one day elevate Windy Hill with a bridge over Cobb Parkway to ease congestion in the area.
— A $258,000 expenditure to purchase computers and mobile devices for the Cobb County Sheriff's Office.
