People who receive housing choice vouchers from the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority will no longer have to go through a private contractor to manage their access to rental assistance.
After years of complaints from renters and landlords, CMHA announced Thursday it's ending its contract with CGI.
CMHA had indicated its plans to end its contract with CGI last spring, but retracted the statements in the fall.
When CMHA signed the contract with CGI, the housing authority laid off about 50 employees and promised it would save $1 million a year with CGI.
CMHA admitted it didn't save money under the contract with the Canadian IT company, but wouldn't answer questions last year about whether the contract cost more money in the end.
WOSU is waiting on answers from CMHA comparing the cost of operating the program under CGI to the cost to operate it internally.
CMHA stated in a news release that the move will make the organization more responsive to client needs.
“By bringing the Housing Choice Voucher program back in-house, we are demonstrating our commitment to ensuring that residents receive the highest level of service and support,” said CMHA Chief Program Officer Scott Ammarell. “This strategy will allow us to be more responsive than ever before to the needs of our clients, including more direct assistance to Franklin County residents and landlords alike, while ensuring that our staff has the tools and resources needed to provide exceptional service."
The transition is effective March 3. CMHA won't schedule appointments during the last two weeks of February, but will still process tenancy approvals and schedule property inspections.
Services will be provided by CMHA staff from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at CMHA’s office located at 1407 Cleveland Ave. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 614-421-6000.
Many renters and landlords have complained about the service under CGI, including limited office hours, difficulty in getting appointments scheduled and getting paperwork filed. The Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found numerous problems, according to an audit.
