Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority got off to a rocky start administering its housing choice voucher program.
The subsidized rent program, known by some as Section 8, was run by Canadian IT company CGI from 2022 until March of this year. Low-income, elderly and disabled tenants in the program complained about bad management and CGI's lack of availability.
When CMHA took over, its computer system was supposed to go down for a week, during which it wouldn't be able to process contracts. Instead, the computers stayed down for a month, said Melissa Benson, senior managing attorney with Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio's housing unit.
"This caused a bunch of delays in processing for new contracts, new payments changes," Benson said.
CMHA failed to pay some landlords. While tenants are not legally responsible for CMHA's payments, landlords still took some tenants to eviction court over the missing money, Benson said.
"We did see some situations where eviction cases were filed because CMHA had not been able to make its payment, not because the tenant hadn't been making theirs," she said.
Benson said CMHA's computer systems are back up and running, and the organization seems to be working through its backlog. She said CMHA has also been "responsive" to Legal Aid as attorneys try to help tenants who were sent to eviction court.
"They are prioritizing the cases that we are bringing to their attention," Benson said of CMHA.
CMHA admitted in a statement that it experienced a "regrettable delay in being able to process new contracts," due to a change in its software processing system.
"CMHA has been in contact with both landlords and participants and has addressed or is addressing each situation of delay to lessen the impact of the delay on both participants and landlords," the statement reads. "This includes resolving outstanding payments and resolving situations where evictions may have been initiated or completed."
Benson said to her knowledge, no one was removed from her or his home.
She said aside from the computer problems, she has seen improvements with CMHA administering the voucher program compared to CGI. CMHA has reopened its walk-in center at 11th and Cleveland avenues so people with questions can speak to a representative quickly.
"I hope that the worst of it is behind us," Benson said of the situation with CMHA. "At least in terms of the computer system, I know that's true."
CMHA says it continues to address all challenges "in as timely a manner as possible" and that the organization will invest in "additional tools to maximize efficiency in administering the program."
