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Board authorizes county to accept $180,000 subgrant and add one housing counselor FTE for renter services
Summary
Johnson County approved a subrecipient agreement with United Community Services to accept a $180,000 Block Family Foundation subgrant and add one grant-funded full-time-equivalent housing counselor to provide housing counseling to renters; vote 7-0.
The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners voted Feb. 13 to authorize the Department of Planning, Housing and Community Development to enter a grant subrecipient agreement with United Community Services of Johnson County to accept a $180,000 subgrant from the Block Family Foundation and to add one full-time-equivalent position, funded by the grant, to provide housing counseling for renters.
Proponents said the position will restore local housing counseling capacity and support eviction mediation outcomes by collecting longitudinal data on client outcomes and by referring at-risk renters to services that can prevent homelessness.
Commissioner Janae Hanslick, who led discussion in support of the item, said the county previously had a consumer credit housing counseling program and “this position is so much needed.” Housing coordinator Megan Forman told commissioners the role will split time between eviction mediation (in-person court work on scheduled days) and broader housing counseling services, including outreach, classes on budgeting and credit restoration, and data collection to measure program impact.
Commissioner Hanslick moved the motion; Commissioner Allenbrand seconded. The clerk recorded a roll call: seven votes in favor, none opposed. The motion authorized acceptance of the subgrant, permission for the county to sign a grant subrecipient agreement and to add the one FTE funded by grants.
Commissioners discussed measures of success that the county will track: eviction mediation longitudinal tracking (two years) and counseling outcomes tracked ongoingly if the position is continued. Commissioner Burgh (who said he previously served as United Community Services executive director) noted he would abstain from voting on future items that directly fund UCS to avoid appearance-of-impropriety concerns; he confirmed this item does not involve direct county funding to UCS and said he would vote.
The approved action directs staff to finalize the grant subrecipient agreement and to post and hire the position; staff estimated recruitment could be completed within a few months.
