Columbus Housing Partnership Inc

Homeport's housing advisory services ("has") provides residents of central ohio with the information they need to improve their financial situations, remove barriers to home ownership, and prepare to purchase their first home. Homebuyer education and housing counseling programs also work to address the underlying social and economic needs facing families within central ohio neighborhoods. Homeport programs help potential homeowners understand that purchasing a home comes with many obligations, responsibilities, and privileges. Homeport teaches its clients how to be responsible homeowners and good neighbors. Homeport housing advisory services provided services including prepurchase education and counseling, credit and budget counseling, and finanical counseling to 610 clients in 2024. Housing advisory services also provides financial literacy education and counseling to residents of homeport communities to assist residents with developing the skills for financial stability, financial security and assist with asset building. Housing advisory services also administers downpayment assistance programs to assist residents of franklin county with paying the downpayment and closing costs associated with purchasing their first home. In 2024, has assisted 274 individuals and families, through downpayment assistance program partners, with becoming a homeowner by administering assistance to potential buyers of up to $25,000 to make the dream of homeownership a reality adding more than $6 million in home sale financial assistance to central ohio.

Homeport provides programs that offer residents support and the opportunity to keep their homes and families stable, safe, and secure. Homeport's resident services department provides:out of school time programming: offered at 5 communities with a focus on serving children ages 5-13, provided 3-5 afternoons a week (varying per site) for homework assistance, computer lab, and special programs throughout the year to assist families with working parents when school is out including 5 day a week on-site programming at those same communities during the summer. Additionally, new backpacks full of school supplies were provided to 699 homeport youth to start the new school year.food programs: for children: offered at 5 sites provides summer breakfast and lunch to school age children. Take home meals were provided at homeport's 5 largest multifamily sites and was open to all families in the community. Children receive free breakfast and lunch during the summer program, and a free meal during the after school program. For families and seniors: over 200 families received holiday meals, free coats, and holiday gifts through homeport's winter wonderland program. There were 2,623 total visits to produce giveaways in 2024. The service coordination team offers referrals and linkages to internal and community resources for all homeport residents, as well as provide guidance to and advocacy for our residents when appropriate. During 2024, as many of homeport residents continued to face unforeseen hardships and household income loss, service coordinators focused on securing rental and other financial assistance for 266 homeport families totaling $160,618 in assistance. Over 94 evictions and utility shut offs were averted. Overall, 6,500 residents were linked to 5,186 services ranging from food assistance and furniture assistance to financial assistance. Lastly, the service coordination team works throughout the year with residents and on-site property management teams to engage residents and the greater community via community events and discussions with residents to provide updates and to receive programming feedback.