September 20, 1999

To:Community Services Committee

From:Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services

Subject:Funding for Homeless Services - Appeals Report

Purpose:

This report outlines the staff review of six community agency appeals under the Homeless Support Services Fund and recommends three projects for $183,000.00 in funding. The report also outlines the process for the second Proposal Call for the City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications, and Impact Statement:

Funds are available in the City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund (CT-HIF). The CT-HIF includes a 1999/2000 allocation of $4.724 million to the City of Toronto from the Province as well as an allocation of $881,100.00 from the City in the 1999 Approved Budget for the Consolidated Grants Program.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)Council approve funding in the amount of $128,000.00 from the City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund to the Fred Victor Centre for the operation of a Drop-in program for homeless women;

(2)Council approve funding in the amount of $25,000.00 from the City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund to the Syme Woolner Neighbourhood and Family Centre for the provision of a day time drop-in program for homeless people;

(3)Council approve funding in the amount of $30,000.00 from the City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund to The Massey Centre for Women for the provision of of supports to homeless or potentially homeless young parents with no fixed address;

(4)authority be delegated to the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services to allocate funding to projects selected from the City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund second Proposal Call as outlined in this report; and

(5)the appropriate City officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect hereto.

Council Reference/Background History:

The Community Services Committee on September 9, 1999 had before it a report from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services respecting funding for homeless services. The Committee recommended to Council the adoption of the report and referred the appeals from the following agencies to the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services for further review and report thereon to the next Community Services Committee:

Fred Victor Centre (Grant Item 13);

Friends of the Shopping Bag Ladies (Grant Item 14);

Massey Centre for Women (Grant Item 20);

Mens Sana (Families for Schizophrenics) (Grant Item 21);

Street Haven-at-the-Crossroads (Grant item 43); and

Syme-Woolner Neighbourhood and Family Centre (Grant Item 45).

This report outlines the staff review of the appeals to the Committee from the Homeless Support Services Fund and recommends funding for three projects which were not funded through the HSSF due to the limited amount of funding available.

The report also outlines the timetable, priority setting process and issues related to the second Proposal Call for the CT-HIF and recommends delegation of the authority to allocate funds for projects selected through a Proposal Call to the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

1. Appeals:

Staff have reviewed the applications to the HSSF from the agencies noted above. The following is an outline of the services offered from each agency, a review of their appeal, and a recommendation.

Fred Victor Centre - (Grant Item No. 13)

The agency provides a range of supports for people who are homeless including a 38 bed hostel, a restaurant providing affordable meals, social recreation programs, skill development and literacy classes, computer club, employment centre and a number of drop-in programs. The agency has requested support for the women's day drop-in located at the Adelaide Women's Resource Centre. The drop-in provides a necessary service to homeless women and operates in collaboration with the range of services provided from this site.

Comments:

During the appeals the organization reiterated the need for a year round drop-in program at the Adelaide Resource Centre. The drop-in which received a small amount of winter specific funding during 1998 has become a core program at the centre providing support to women who participate in specific programs or access health care services or simply need a safe supportive environment.

The operations of the drop-in are supported by the City's Hostel Services which provides free rent for the drop-in at the Adelaide Resources Centre, phone service, and food for drop-in participants.

The program is recommended for $128,000.00 to support the delivery of a year round drop-in program for homeless women at the Adelaide Women's Resource Centre.

Friends of Shopping Bag Ladies - (Grant Item No. 14)

The agency provides a daily drop-in for homeless, transient and socially isolated women across the City of Toronto. Services include shower and laundry facilities, clothing, food depot, breakfast and a hot lunch, a voluntary trusteeship program, crisis intervention, health services, recreation activities, and housing supports. The agency has requested $58,000.00 for a case manager to work as part of the drop-in program.

Comments:

In 1998 Council approved that the Community Services grant of $24,224.00 to this agency be held pending the agency developing a system to refer male clients to other service providers. The 1998 condition required the agency to meet regularly with other agencies providing services to homeless men and develop a system which documents the process of referral and when service is accessed or denied. These conditions as well as the 1999 HSSF appeal will be addressed through the report titled "Friends of Shopping Bag Ladies" which is also before Committee at the October meeting. This report provides an update of the actions taken by Friends of Shopping Bag Ladies in response to the funding conditions placed on the agency. The agency cannot be recommended for new funds until it can be demonstrated that the agency has met the outstanding conditions.

Massey Centre for Women - (Grant Item No. 20)

The agency provides a residential facility, day care, educational upgrading courses, a community counselling program and drop-in centre for young single mothers in the City of Toronto. The community program provides a clothing exchange, social support, crafts, recreational activities, health and life skills counselling, child management program, and a weekly supper club. The program focusses on high risk single mothers and their babies, and aims to reduce the incidence of homelessness, child abuse, relationship abuse and poverty. The program goal is to help young families stabilize housing and access community supports.

Comments:

The agency is recommended for a grant of $30,000.00 for the provision of supports to homeless or potentially homeless young parents with no fixed address. This will be a priority area for this target group in the second CT-HIF Proposal Call. The agency will be required to submit revised program information.

Mens Sana (Families for Schizophrenics) - (Grant Item No. 21)

This agency serves residents of the former City of North York and the surrounding areas. It provides services to persons with schizophrenia and their families. The agency provides services to assist their clients to cope with their condition and live independently in the community. It also promotes tolerance and understanding for this condition among the general public. This agency operates a residence as well as day programs at a drop-in centre.

Comments:

The agency request did not meet the HSSF criteria. The agency is encouraged to review the second CT-HIF Proposal Call and submit a proposal that meets the priorities and funding criteria specified in the RFP.

Street Haven-at-the-Crossroads - (Grant Item No. 43)

The agency has been providing services to homeless women for the past 32 years. Services include a day and evening shelter, residential homes for women with psychiatric disabilities, supportive housing and outreach for women with addictions.

Comments:

Funding conditions were placed on the agency through the 1998 Community Services Grants Program. The agency was advised at that time that future funding will be conditional on the development of a membership and Board recruitment strategy which includes a review of the agency's bylaws, an analysis of the community to which the agency is accountable, the development of membership targets which ensure accountability to this community and an implementation plan. This strategy must be integrated with the agency's anti-discrimination and access policy. Staff support was also offered to assist the agency in meeting this condition. The agency has not provided documentation to demonstrate that it has met this condition.. Further, applications from the agency both to the 1999 Homeless Support Services Fund and the CT-HIF have been incomplete. Future proposals from the agency to the CT-HIF will be reviewed once these outstanding conditions have been met.

Syme Woolner Neighbourhood and Family Centre - (Grant Item No. 45)

The agency provides a range of services including family resource centre programs, programs for school aged children and community (summer day camp, after school, reading clubs, breakfast/lunch program), women's and family support programs, drug awareness/education and community and economic development programs. The agency has requested funds to support the drop-in program for homeless people or those at risk of homelessness. The drop-in has received winter specific funding from the City during 1997 and 1998. The agency hopes to enhance the program to make it available year round.

Comments:

The agency requested $68,564.00 and was recommended for $33,987.00 through the 1999 HSSF. The agency has expanded its drop-in program to serve increasing numbers of homeless and at-risk people in an under serviced area. These services meet the criteria for the CT-HIF and the agency is recommended for a further $25,000.00 to assist in the provision of the year round day time drop-in program for homeless and at-risk people.

2. CT-HIF Second Proposal Call

Staff are now in the process of establishing funding priorities for the second and final CT-HIF Proposal Call. Funding available for this RFP is approximately $2 million. The process involves identifying gaps in current services to homeless people and following up on outstanding recommendations of the Mayor's Homelessness Action Task Force. Staff have been consulting with community groups, staff from the Community and Neighbourhood Services Department, other Departments, other levels of government, and other funders to develop new ideas, avoid duplication, and establish strategies for joint funding initiatives.

An example of a joint funding initiative currently in the planning stages is a Community Economic Development strategy for homeless people that our staff have been working on. Plans are underway to develop this initiative jointly with Human Resources Development Canada, the Ministry of Community and Social Services, and the United Way. Such collaborative initiatives will allow us to lever additional funds and provide comprehensive support to community groups working with homeless people on employment and business initiatives. Staff will be reporting on this initiative in more detail once plans are finalized.

This is the final Proposal Call in 1999 for the CT-HIF and there are more needs in the community than can be met through this funding initiative. Staff are developing a Proposal Call which will address the key priorities identified during the consultation process. In addition, staff are working with other levels of government and the United Way to lever additional funding for projects so that comprehensive strategies can be developed.

Feedback from community groups during the initial RFP process was that groups had difficulty developing proposals within the tight time lines. Community groups have asked that they have at least 6 weeks to respond to an RFP and that assistance be given to groups in the under served communities so that they have the necessary information to develop applications for funding.

In order to organize the Proposal Call process that targets funding to high priority areas, allows for collaboration with other funders, and ensures that community groups have sufficient time to develop good proposals, a minimum of ten weeks are required from the date of this meeting. Based on this timing, recommendations for project funding would be ready by December 13, 1999. The next meeting of the Community Services Committee would be January 13, 2000 as there is a six week period between meetings over the Christmas season. Council approval could not be sought until its next meeting on February 1.

Because the Council and Committee schedules would delay approvals until February 2000, it is recommended that authority be delegated to the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services to allocate funding to projects selected through the CT-HIF Proposal Call. This would allow the following timetable to be met:

Request for Proposals #2 issuedOctober 15, 1999

Deadline for SubmissionsNovember 26, 1999

Selection of ProjectsNovember 29 - December 10

Projects approvedDecember 17, 1999

Report to CSC & AppealsJanuary 13, 2000

Projects would then be approved before the new year, giving community agencies the time to hire staff and get projects up and running in the winter months. Funds will also be set aside for appeals and a process established for groups to present their case to Committee in January 2000.

Evaluation Process for the CT-HIF:

The Province has allowed the City to use funds available from the 1998/1999 CT-HIF to support the development of a more formalized evaluation system for CT-HIF projects as well as the program as a whole. A consultant, selected through an RFP process, will be hired in November to design and test out a system which will help staff determine the effectiveness of the program in meeting its objectives of helping people move from the streets to shelter, from shelters to more permanent forms of housing, and in preventing homelessness.

Staff are, however, already working with the first 25 CT-HIF projects selected with 1998/1999 funding. As outlined in the report to Committee "City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund Evaluation Approach" (March 4, 1999), groups have submitted comprehensive work plans for each project which include service targets. An interim report detailing the work undertaken by these projects and initial outcomes was submitted to Committee on June 23, 1999. A final report will be submitted to Committee early in January. Projects selected in 1999/2000 will provide interim reports in mid year 2000.

Conclusion:

This reports recommends $183,000.00 in funding for three projects will provide needed services to homeless people starting this fall. In addition to the projects selected through the second CT-HIF Proposal Call, there are a range of winter specific program enhancements included in the Homeless Support Services Fund, 51 new projects recommended for funding under the City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund that will begin in the fall of 1999 as well as United Way "Winter Relief" winter- specific grants which are currently in the middle of its allocations process. City staff have worked closely with the United Way to determine priorities and allocate funding for these three funding programs.

In 2000, funding for homeless services will be administered in the context of a consolidated program as outlined in the Funding For Homeless Services report to the September CSC meeting. A timetable will be established to bring the funding cycle including priority setting, Proposal Calls, project selection, evaluation, and Council reports in line with the reporting schedule established by the province and the City's budget cycle. The priority in 2000 will be to streamline the program, measure outcomes, and evaluate this new range of projects funded through the consolidated CT-HIF to ensure ongoing support for successful projects that are most needed by homeless people. City staff will be working closely with the community based agencies involved in these projects to ensure that they operate effectively and collaborate with projects doing similar work.

Contact Names:

Joanne CampbellChris Brillinger

Phone: 392-7885Phone: 392-8608

Fax: 392-0548Fax: 392-8492

Commissioner of Community & Neighbourhood Services