Cobb Closes COVID-19, Rent Assistance Call Center

COBB COUNTY, GA — Cobb County will close its temporary COVID-19 vaccination and rental assistance call center at the end of the day Friday, county officials said Thursday.

The call center — initially opened in April as a vaccination helpline and funded through Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act money — took more than 1,400 calls in its four-month run. The county even expanded it to help link residents to the county's Emergency Rental Assistance program.

“We proposed the call center at a time when people were desperate to make an appointment to get the COVID-19 vaccine and supplies of the vaccine were low,” Cobb Board of Commissioners Chair Lisa Cupid said. “When the volume of calls dropped, we transitioned the call center to help with rental assistance.

The center was never designed to be permanent. But officials said it could resume operations if COVID-19 cases or rental assistance needs spike.

"Even though it is closing, we have the infrastructure in place to reopen it if the situation with the latest COVID surge starts overwhelming our resources once again,” Cupid said.

The $2 million contract with the call center's vendor also includes software that could form the basis of a future 311 information center, should the county decide to move in that direction, the news release said.

Residents seeking a COVID test, vaccination, or information should visit www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.com.

Residents who might need rental assistance should visit www.cobbcounty.org/ERA.