Label
Council Members Komives, McPherson & Morris
Title
Urging the Ohio State Legislature to fund vital 2-1-1 Services around the state to help lessen the burden on local communities.
Summary
SUMMARY & BACKGROUND:
WHEREAS, 2-1-1 is a public hotline similar to 911 that connects people to assistance programs that cover a wide variety of needs, such as homelessness, hunger, mental health crisis, and emergency and disaster services; and
WHEREAS, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated 2-1-1 as the 3-digit number for information and referrals to social services and other assistance in 2000. The 2-1-1 service is provided by local organizations that are committed to serving their communities; and
WHEREAS, offering assistance in English and 180 other languages, the 2-1-1 hotline fielded more than 18 million requests for help in 2022. The hotline comprises more than 200 agencies scattered across the country; however, most are organized via county and regional areas within their respective states; and
WHEREAS, 2-1-1 also connects residents to vital health and human support services, including disaster relief, as well as eviction prevention, legal services, tax filing, employment opportunities, and access to food, clothing, and shelter; and
WHEREAS, this program is often administered by United Way, a ubiquitous nonprofit organization (501c[3]) that provides both the funding and staff necessary for 24/7 operation. 2-1-1 relies on charitable donations and the funding from the municipal communities to provide this service; and
WHEREAS, in Toledo and Lucas County, United Way of Greater Toledo (UWGT) operates the local 2-1-1 call service that connects our citizens with assistance for their essential needs, and greatly helps to combat poverty and deprivation; and
WHEREAS, UWGT’s 2-1-1 program is an essential component of public infrastructure in Northwest Ohio. So far in 2024, the program received more than 72,000 connections for help, through call, text, and chat, ensuring these residents had access to the vital health and human services they need to lead more fulfilling lives; and
WHEREAS, prior to 2020, annual contacts ranged from 62,000 to 68,000 annually. In 2021, that number increased to more than 104,000 as residents sought access to COVID-19 vaccines and other pandemic relief; and
WHEREAS, across our state and nation, 2-1-1 is an unparalleled service, offering empathy-informed, human-centric approaches as individuals and families navigate difficult times in their lives. 2-1-1 is a free and anonymous information and referral service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to people in a majority of municipal jurisdictions, especially in cities; and
WHEREAS, the program’s skilled staff, Community Resource Advisers (CRAs), are the key to the service, trained to “ask the second question” to identify root issues. The 2-1-1 database offers translation services and includes access to more than 800 organizations and 2,300 programs; and
WHEREAS, 2-1-1 data is made available publicly in real time so that United Way, funders, legislators, and others have a constant pulse on community needs, including data supporting that more than half of annual contact volume continually relates to food, housing and shelter, and utility assistance; and
WHEREAS, as inflation, rental, utility, and housing prices, overall cost of living, and the job market, as well as Public Health Emergency Benefits ending, continue to present financial barriers to individuals throughout Ohio and our City of Toledo. United Way does not anticipate a downturn in these numbers through 2024 or in future years; and
WHEREAS, in this regard, 211’s service as a direct helpline increases efficiencies of government, nonprofit, and other public services by reducing call volume and streamlining contacts to resources they need and for which they are qualified. Through direct person-to-person interaction, residents find creative, compassionate solutions to complex problems arising from disaster, unexpected unemployment and financial burden, illness, and much more; and
WHEREAS, 2-1-1 provides an essential service as a key piece of health and human services public infrastructure in NW Ohio, however, it does not currently benefit from sustainable public investment in the same manner as 911 and 988; and
WHEREAS, UWGT has come to Toledo City Council in recent years to make their database information available, to explain the many benefits of the program, and to seek financial support in order to maintain their operations; and
WHEREAS, Our City Council has made an annual $100,000 investment in 2-1-1, ensuring the sustainability of the program beyond shelter services, of which up to two-thirds of information and referral services are dedicated to City of Toledo residents, and will encourage more direct communication and partnership with emergency services, Engage Toledo, and other City of Toledo departments; and
WHEREAS, in 2023, Ordinance 512-23 was passed unanimously to appropriate $300,000 to support United Way of Greater Toledo 2-1-1 Services for Toledo Residents. Ordinance 512-23 also authorized the expenditure of $100,000 for the calendar year of 2024; and
WHEREAS, we believe the State of Ohio must take this even farther, by pledging state budget support to the program. We believe all Ohio communities should be able to access 2-1-1 and the services it provides; which at this time are not available everywhere; and
WHEREAS, Ohio is in the extreme minority; we are one of only two states that do not dedicate state budget resources to funding the 2-1-1 program nor do we provide oversight to ensure its sustainable and most effective utilization.
NOW THEREFORE, Be it resolved by the Council of the City of Toledo:
SECTION 1: That we implore lawmakers for the State of Ohio to consider a funding bill that will appropriate a portion of the operating budget for the 2-1-1 program for the next five years. Doing so will ensure that at-risk Ohioans are able to find and utilize the resources they need to stay safe, healthy, clothed, and sheltered.
Vote on emergency clause: yeas 12, nays 0.
Adopted: November 6, 2024, as an emergency measure: yeas 12, nays 0.
Attest:
Julie A. Gibbons Carrie Hartman
Clerk of Council President of Council
Approved: November 6, 2024
Wade Kapszukiewicz
Mayor