Franklin County Commissioners, NAACP Seeking Relief For Families Awaiting Government Aid

Media Contact - Bart Logan, Job and Family Services, 614-984-0522
 
Columbus, OH – As thousands of residents await much-needed financial aid from the federal Coronavirus stimulus package and Franklin County’s COVID-19 Response PRC Program, the Franklin County Commissioners want to ensure the most vulnerable families are not overlooked

The Commissioners are partnering with the Columbus chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to call on financial institutions to make special considerations for families who do not have checking or savings accounts.

“The vast majority of unbanked or underbanked families are low-income and minority families,” Commissioner John O’Grady said. “They’re the people who need this support the most and they deserve every cent they are due.”

Together the Commissioners and NAACP Columbus are asking local check cashers and payday lenders to charge minimal fees or waive them all together for Franklin County families who need to cash their federal stimulus checks or COVID-19 Response PRC payments.

“Families are facing unprecedented hardships right now, and by no fault of their own,” Commissioner Marilyn Brown said. “When these checks arrive, we want to make sure that money is going toward whatever a family needs to weather this storm, not transaction fees or interest.”

The Commissioners and the NAACP Columbus are also calling on local banks to honor COVID-19 stimulus checks and COVID-19 Response PRC payments, regardless of whether the family has a bank account. They are asking the institutions to waive fees on these government-administered assistance payments so that eligible families can make the most of this critical aid.

“This is a difficult time for everyone in the community,” said Commissioner Kevin L. Boyce.  “But it’s particularly tough for families that were already living from one paycheck to another.  the need to assess fees on funds that are meant to help families during this pandemic should be suspended or even eliminated “

The Commissioners and the NAACP Columbus appealed to community-based financial institutions and credit unions to answer the call as well.

“An all hands on deck response is needed during this unprecedent crisis,” County Administrator Ken Wilson said.

The NAACP Columbus, whose mission is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination, has remained in close communication with the Commissioners since the onset of the public health crisis. NAACP Columbus President Nana Watson said the call for financial institutions to waive fees on government assistance payments is a proactive measure to ensure the COVID-19 pandemic does not exacerbate historic inequities.

“Our Commissioners see a real barrier, especially for many Black communities, and are taking action now to get ahead of it,” Ms. Watson said. “We are all in this crisis together and we all have a part to play. I’m confident the financial sector will answer the call. Our families are counting on them.”

Earlier this week, the Commissioners authorized Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services to amend its Prevention, Retention and Contingency plan to create the new COVID-19 Response PRC Program. It was designed to provide eligible families with $500 in one-time cash assistance to help address emergent needs and expenses brought about by the public health emergency.

The COVID-19 Response PRC Program was funded with an initial $1.5 million allocation and officially launched Thursday, April 2. Due to the extremely high volume of applications, the funding for the program was exhausted within 24 hours.

JFS is currently processing applications and will notify families if they have been approved. The Franklin County Auditor’s Office will mail checks directly to approved households in the coming weeks.