RISE Center to provide multiple services for public housing residents
The Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority has opened a new customer service center near its South Linden headquarters that will connect residents to child care, transportation, health and employment services.
The new RISE Center is located on the second floor of a building at 1407 Cleveland Ave., located just east of CMHA headquarters at 880 E. 11th Ave. At the client center, people can:
h Apply for emergency rental assistance and utility bill payment plans
h Get information about apartment lease agreements and housing
h Sign up for health insurance, unemployment and food assistance
h Find job opportunities
h Obtain information for managing health and family planning and pregnancy care
h Get information on educational opportunities
The RISE Center is one of five Envision centers in the state as designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The centers provide economic, educational and other services so people can live independently. The other centers in Ohio are in Cincinnati, which has two, plus Toledo and Youngstown.
On the first floor is CMHA’S customer service center, with sign-in kiosks for check-in, booths for virtual appointments with CMHA staff, and digital document intake for instant delivery and storage.
Many CMHA clients connect with staff through their phones or home computers, but some aren’t as tech savvy or don’t have access to computers, said Scott Scharlach, CMHA’S chief operating officer. The new center makes it easier for them to connect, with staff there helping them navigate virtual services.
Franklin County Commissioner Erica Crawley, one of several speakers at an opening ceremony Tuesday morning, said it’s well-known that many people struggle with finding housing in the county, and the new client center is intended to help resolve those problems.
Renovations for the RISE center space, which was home to an insurance agency, cost $1.7 million, a combination of CMHA operating money and federal funds for COVID-19 relief, Scharlach said.