COLUMBUS, Ohio — The City of Columbus received a federal grant to help support migrants and refugees, including residents displaced from the shuttered Colonial Village apartments.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Shelter and Services Program awarded the city a $6.6 million grant to provide shelter for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
Colonial Village was declared a public nuisance in 2021 and had outstanding code violations. Two years later, officials learned that more than 800 people were found living in “substandard conditions.” Those residents were forced to move out by Dec. 31, 2023.
Since then, those displaced residents have been living in hotels as they sought permanent housing. The city provided some funds to help with hotel payments and relocation costs.
Officials said the grant received by FEMA will build upon partnerships and expand the capacity to provide shelter and material assistance for migrants and displaced residents.
“This new federal funding aligns with what we are already experiencing here in Columbus-- an increasing number of refugees and immigrants arriving in our community in search of safe harbor and a new start. This grant ensures that the city will be able to address the immediate humanitarian needs of these families without placing additional pressure on our existing shelter system,” Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said.
The city will receive $6,682,210 over three years. The money would be used to provide shelter, food, transportation and other services.
Meanwhile, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said he is directing his office to research legal ways to stop the federal government from “sending an unlimited number of migrants to Ohio communities.”
Yost cited communities being overwhelmed by surging migrant populations as the reason for the measure.
“The problem is not migrants, it is way, way too many migrants in a short period of time,” Yost said. “The problem is a massive increase in the population without any communication or assistance from the federal government.”
