Council member Melissa Green seeks permanent funding for social safety net with 'Columbus Forward'

Council member Melissa Green told the Columbus City Council that she is advancing an initiative called Columbus Forward to secure “permanent dedicated funding” to strengthen the region’s social safety net.

“Through Columbus Forward, I'm working to secure permanent dedicated funding to strengthen and grow our region's social safety nets so that everyone has access to the essentials that we all need, like quality healthcare, healthy food, strong community supports, and safe and affordable housing,” Green said.

Green framed the proposal as part of planning for the city's growth, saying, “Columbus is growing, but with that growth, progress isn't promised. It has to be planned for.” She added that the city’s residents, not infrastructure, are “Columbus' greatest asset.”

The remarks, as captured in the meeting transcript, present the initiative’s goals but do not specify funding mechanisms, dollar amounts, an implementation timeline or whether formal council action was requested. The transcript does not indicate whether Green's statements were part of a scheduled agenda item, a member's remarks, or another portion of the meeting.

City officials or staff did not provide additional details during the excerpted remarks about how Columbus Forward would be funded or administered. Green closed by inviting listeners to “learn more about this initiative,” but the transcript does not include a link, ordinance language, or next steps recorded in the meeting excerpt.

The proposal centers on four areas named by Green: healthcare, food access, community supports and safe, affordable housing. No statutes, resolutions, motions or votes concerning Columbus Forward are recorded in the provided transcript.