15391 1 RESOLUTION NO. 15,391
2
3 A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANGER TO ENTER
4 INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH OUR HOUSE FOR THE PURPOSE OF
5 MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION/OPERATION OF THE
6 ACTIVITIES OF THE FINANCIAL NAVIGATORS GRANT FUNDED
7 THROUGH THE CITIES FOR FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT FUNDS
8 FOR ONE (1)-YEAR, AS ENDORSED BY THE COMMISSION ON
9 CHILDREN,YOUTH AND FAMILIES; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
10
11 WHEREAS, the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, remains committed to assisting low-income,
12 homeless, and near-homeless individuals and families in Little Rock, a population particularly hard-hit by
13 the economic fallout of the COVID-19 Pandemic;and,
14 WHEREAS,the Board of Directors had shown support for aiding community members experiencing
15 a host of challenges and hardships;and,
16 WHEREAS, Our House, the City of Little Rock's non-profit partner, has a thirty-three (33)-year
17 track record of connecting vulnerable individuals and families to a suite of wrap-around services; and,
18 WHEREAS, in a survey of clients who had been impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic, Our House
19 found that 66%of the population it serves had lost employment,or had reductions in hours worked;and,
20 WHEREAS, approximately 68% of the respondents shared that they have experienced dramatic
21 increases in stress levels due to financial insecurity, social isolation, housing instability, lack of childcare
22 and joblessness; and,
23 WHEREAS, the Community Programs Department provides quality Prevention, Intervention and
24 Treatment (PIT) Programming that utilizes citizen involvement, evidence-based practices, and
25 standardized processes with the goal of increasing positive outcomes and the quality of life for all
26 citizens; and,
27 WHEREAS, in a survey of clients impacted by the virus, approximately 55% indicated that they
28 were experiencing a high level of need during this time;and,
29 WHEREAS, the Compass Platform, Financial Navigators training and technical assistance provided
30 by the Cities for Financial Empowerment Funds would enable Our House and Community Programs Staff
31 to create a remote "one-stop-shop" for residents of Little Rock; leveraging the networks, resources and
32 institutional know-how of both municipal and community-based non-profit partners; and,
33 WHEREAS, upon the adoption of this resolution, the agreement will be finalized and
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1 executed with Our House.
2 NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY
3 OF LITTLE ROCK,ARKANSAS:
4 Section 1. The City Manager is authorized to enter into a one (1)-year contract with Our House
5 commencing on August 1, 2021, for the expressed purpose of implementing the Financial Navigators
6 Initiative, providing free remote-based financial triage and guide clients to a range of national and local
7 programs, services and resources, in alignment with the model requirements as set by the Cities for
8 Financial Empowerment Fund.
9 Section 2. Funds in the amount of Eighty Thousand Dollars ($80,000.00) are available through a
10 grant awarded by the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund.
11 Section 3. Our House will report to Community Programs Staff and will cooperate and confer with
12 them as necessary to insure satisfactory work progress.
13 Section 4. The City Manager shall be satisfied with the program to create a remote "one-stop-shop"
14 for residents of Little Rock, leveraging the networks, resources and institutional know-how of both
15 municipal and community-based non-profit partners in advance of disbursement of the funds.
16 Section 5. All payments are conditioned upon entry into contracts for services that are in a form
17 acceptable to the City Attorney.
18 Section 6. Severability. In the event any title, section, paragraph, item, sentence, clause, phrase, or
19 word of this resolution is declared or adjudged to be invalid or unconstitutional, such declaration or
20 adjudication shall not affect the remaining portions of this resolution,which shall remain in full force and
21 effect as if the portion so declared or adjudged invalid or unconstitutional were not originally a part of the
22 resolution.
23 Section 8. Repealer. All laws, ordinances and resolutions, or parts of the same, that are inconsistent
24 with the provisions of this resolution,are hereby repealed to theextent of such inconsistency.
25 ADOPTED: February 23,2021
26 A APPROVED:
27 `,,
—/s1,
28
29 u' n a, ,City Clerk Frank Scott,Jr.,Mayor
30 APP' • AS TO LEGAL FORM:
31
32 -
33 Thomas M. Carpenter, City Attorney
34 II
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