City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund

The Community Services Committee recommends the adoption of the following report (June 1, 1999) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services:

Purpose:

To provide the Community Services Committee with information on the process for distributing the City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund which includes both the City's allocation of the Provincial Homelessness Initiatives Fund and the City funded Homeless Initiatives Fund.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

The City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund includes an allocation of $4.724 million to the City of Toronto from the Province as well as an allocation of $881,100.00 in the 1999 approved budget for the Consolidated Grants Program.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services be authorized to execute the Agreement to Terms and Conditions for the Homelessness Initiatives Fund with the Ministry of Community and Social Services in order to receive the allocation of $4.724 million from the Province;

(2)the appropriate City officials be authorized to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

Council Reference/Background History:

This report summarizes the process used in developing the City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund (CT-HIF). This new program combines the City's Homeless Initiatives Fund and the Provincial Homelessness Initiatives Fund into one program with a common application, selection and evaluation process. This will allow the City to implement a wide variety of projects which address the recommendations outlined in the final report from the Mayor's Task Force on Homelessness and address priority needs identified by community groups that work with homeless people. Assisted by City staff, many of these projects will work together as a group to develop longer term comprehensive programs that create efficiencies in the "system" of services to homeless people.

The City's Homeless Initiatives Fund (HIF) was created in 1992 by the former City of Toronto. The program grew out of a strong foundation of community partnerships and the acknowledgement of the importance of a continuum of services for the wide variety of people who are homeless or are in danger of becoming homeless. The HIF was based on the former City of Toronto's "Off The Streets" policy which recognized that homelessness is a multi-faceted problem which requires a variety of different problem solving approaches depending on the individual circumstances of homeless people. Since 1992, the HIF has provided funding for a wide variety of projects that range from services to the most isolated street people to initiatives that support people when they move into permanent housing. In 1998, 26 projects were funded through the HIF. The City has allocated $881,100.00 in the 1999 approved budget for the Consolidated Grants Program for the HIF.

The Provincial Homelessness Initiatives Fund (PHIF) was established following the release of the report of the Provincial Task Force on Homelessness on October 8, 1998. For 1998/99 the City of Toronto was allocated $1.02 million to support new innovative approaches to addressing homelessness. A Request for Proposals was issued and 25 projects were selected for funding. A report summarizing the selection process and the projects funded for the first PHIF was submitted to the Committee in February 1999. An interim report describing the work accomplished to date by these 25 projects will be submitted to the Community Services Committee in July.

On March 23, 1999, the Province announced that an additional $6 million would be added to the Provincial Homelessness Initiatives Fund bringing the total to $10 million annually. Toronto's share of the fund will therefore be increased from $1.02 million to $4.724 million for 1999/2000. The increase in the PHIF was part of an announcement that detailed a wide range of initiatives addressing housing, homelessness and housing supports.

This report will also outline the two following initiatives which will influence the priorities for the City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund:

-the transfer of the Community Partners Program, which funds Housing Help Centres and other projects, to municipalities; and

-the Hostel Redirection Initiative which allows municipalities to redirect a portion of the funding they receive for hostel services to preventative programs.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

General Program Criteria:

The intent of the City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund is to expand the City's responses to homelessness across the City by funding a range of community-based initiatives that have a measurable impact on preventing homelessness. The CT-HIF will use the recommendations of the Mayor's Homeless Action Task Force as a base for establishing priorities for funding and will consult with community groups that work with homeless people on an ongoing basis to ascertain the emerging needs in the community. Funding must also be used for programs which meet one or more of the following "outcomes" areas established by the Province as a condition of funding:

(1)moving people from the streets to emergency accommodation;

(2)moving people from emergency to permanent accommodation; and

(3)preventing homelessness by supporting the retention of permanent accommodation;

In addition, priority will be given to:

(4)developing strategies which result in longer term solutions to homelessness;

(5)funding projects which create efficiencies elsewhere in the "system";

(6)providing direct services to homeless people or those at risk of homelessness;

(7)including homeless people in projects through employment and in the planning, implementation and evaluation stages; and

(8)including qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods to ensure that the program meets its goals and objectives and that individual projects are effective.

Selection Process:

Projects will be selected through two targeted proposal calls - one in the summer of 1999 and one in the fall of 1999. This will give staff a better opportunity to co-ordinate the selection process and will give community groups more than one opportunity to develop project proposals that meet the criteria set out in the Request For Proposals. Non-profit agencies located in the City of Toronto are eligible to apply and must be able to meet the City of Toronto requirements for grant recipients.

Copies of the Request for Proposals (RFP) will be sent to community agencies that work with homeless people including hostels, drop-in centres, housing help groups, and supportive housing providers in all Community Council Districts. A comprehensive list of over 500 agencies has been developed for this purpose. In addition, copies of the RFP will be distributed to all City Councillors and the RFP will be posted on the City's Web Site.

Selection committees will be comprised of staff from different City departments with expertise in the specific project priority areas. In order to be considered for funding a proposal must meet the following selection criteria:

-meets City criteria for Grant recipients;

-experience of applicant in delivering similar programs;

-achieves one of the three Provincial "Outcomes";

-new initiative that does not replace or duplicate funding from another source;

-includes a direct service to homeless people or people at risk of homelessness;

-involves homeless people in the planning, implementation or operation of the project

-data collection component is realistic;

-realistic budget, timetable and work plan; and

-addresses Project Priority area specifics as outlined in the RFP.

Types of funding:

The CT-HIF will fund the following three types of projects:

Innovations:

One year funding of up to $10,000.00 to develop new ideas, attract other funders, build partnerships with other sectors etc.

Pilot and Demonstration Projects:

Funding for up to three years for new initiatives that provide services which are currently not available. Projects will be evaluated after each year and a detailed project review will be conducted at the end of the project. City staff will work with steering committees on project implementation. A component to include other levels of government or other potential funders, and/or fundraising strategies will be required.

Ongoing City Funding:

Projects which demonstrate that they are providing essential services and develop long-term solutions to homelessness will be eligible for ongoing funding. These projects could be cost shared with other levels of government.

Timetable:

The following is the estimated selection timetable for the two proposal calls. Staff will report back to the Community Services Committee with a detailed outline of the selection process with recommendations for funding on the dates specified.

Request For Proposals No. 1 issuedJune 15, 1999

Deadline for SubmissionsJuly 16, 1999

Selection of ProjectsAugust, 1999

Allocations Report to Community Services CommitteeSeptember 9, 1999

Council ApprovalSeptember 28, 1999

Projects StartOctober, 1999

 Request for Proposals No. 2 issuedSeptember 30, 1999

Deadline for SubmissionsOctober 29, 1999

Selection of ProjectsNovember, 1999

Allocations Report to Community Services CommitteeDecember 1, 1999

Council ApprovalDecember 14, 1999

Projects StartJanuary, 2000

Project Priorities:

Project Priorities address recommendations outlined in the Mayor's Homeless Action Task Force Report and include priorities that have been identified by staff after consultation with community groups that work with homeless people, including the Alternative Housing and Services Committee and the Advisory Committee for Homeless and Isolated Persons.

The nine project priority areas in the first Request for Proposals fall within the three "outcome" areas established by the Province. They are as follows:

(1)Chronic Hostel Users Pilot Project;

(2)Low Income Singles Housing Support Program;

(3)Enhanced Housing Help/Eviction Prevention;

(4)Community Economic Development;

(5)New Canadians Housing Access Project;

(6)Services to People Living Outside;

(7)Housing and Hunger Initiatives;

(8)Enhanced Drop-in Services to Homeless People; and

(9)Aboriginal Community Skills Development.

Project Priority areas in the second Request for Proposals will enhance some of the service areas noted above, address gaps in services identified in the evaluation process, and include new priorities such as Harm Reduction strategies, projects directed at underserved communities, and co-ordinated discharge protocols. Staff will report back with more detailed information on these areas in September.

It should be noted that in all discussions with community groups, one of the most frequently cited problems in preventing homelessness is the lack of affordable housing. As the report of the Mayor's Homeless Action Task Force repeatedly states, the lack of affordable housing is one of the major causes of homelessness. It notes that "additional low-cost supply is vital to prevent further demand pressures at the low end of the rental market". The City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund is not a capital program. The program is designed to prevent homelessness, to assist vulnerable people in accessing shelter and permanent housing, and to improve the overall co-ordination and effectiveness of community-based services for homeless people. While the program can be an effective tool in improving access and preventing homelessness amongst the most vulnerable people, there is a limit to how effective the "system" can be can be when there is a dwindling supply of affordable housing. There is a need for increased capital programs that facilitate the creation of low cost housing stock.

Evaluation and Reporting:

Staff will be organizing both an overall program evaluation of the CT-HIF as well as individual project evaluations. An evaluation system that includes both quantitative and qualitative measures are needed. An evaluation tool will be designed that allows us to determine:

-which interventions work and which do not;

-how service delivery can be improved to meet the needs of specific target groups;

-related and emerging needs raised during project implementation;

-how collaboration between agencies or services can result in more efficient service delivery; and

-how strategic interventions can prevent homelessness and create efficiencies in other parts of the system.

Each project will provide two formal written reports: the first at approximately the halfway point of the project and a final report with financial accounting at the end of the project. Projects that demonstrate effectiveness will be able to reapply for ongoing funding.

In addition to the formal reporting process, staff will be working with related projects in groups. This "on stream evaluation" will ensure that strategies are effective, that groups can learn from each other, and that connections to additional resources are made. For example, staff have been working with the seven Housing Help projects, funded in the January RFP, as a group. These seven projects provide support to vulnerable tenants and people seeking housing in all Community Council Districts. By working together, we are able to develop a comprehensive understanding of the problems vulnerable people face in accessing and maintaining housing.

The City must also report back to the Province on a regular basis as a condition of PHIF funding. Our report on the projects funded from the 1998/99 allocation is due on June 30, 1999. Once the report is received by the Province, an Agreement of Terms and Conditions can be signed for this year's funding. The City needs to then report back by February 29, 2000, on the use of funds up to December 31, 1999.

Additional Resources:

The New Provincial Initiatives to Address Homelessness announcement made on March 23, 1999, commits $100 million in new initiatives to help homeless people in Ontario. This announcement was made at the Mayor's Symposium on Homelessness and includes a range of initiatives. Two of these initiatives will complement the new projects funded through the CT-HIF:

The Hostel Redirection Initiative:

The Province will now allow municipalities to redirect funding from emergency shelters to innovative programs which will reduce emergency hostel use. Up to 15 percent of 1998 actual expenditures can be targeted for redirection in 1999. In Toronto, this means that approximately $7.8 to $9.0 million could be available for this initiative. The intent of the program is to reduce the number of people relying on emergency shelters and to increase the number of people moving into and maintaining permanent housing.

Municipalities will be required to submit detailed business plans and provide 20 percent cost-sharing on these initiatives. The hostel redirect will represent new money in its first year of operation, however, municipalities will only continue to be eligible to use re-direct funds if they are able to demonstrate one or more of the following measures:

-a reduction in the rate of growth, no growth or a reduction in emergency shelter beds;

-a reduction in the average length of stay in shelters; and

-a reduction in the cost per unit of service.

Staff are working on a process to work with shelter operators to develop a plan to implement this initiative and will report back on how it complements the CT-HIF.

Downloading of the Community Partners Program:

The Province is transferring funding and administrative control to municipalities for the Community Partners Program. This program provides funding for the Housing Help Centres and some specific projects targeted towards vulnerable people who have difficulty accessing housing. It is anticipated that the transfer will occur early in 2000. The City will then be the primary funder of Housing Help access programs and will be in a position to develop a more comprehensive program of supports that help low income and vulnerable people access and maintain housing. A report on this initiative will be presented early in the new year.

Conclusion:

The City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund will provide funding for a wide range of new initiatives that assist homeless people access and maintain shelter and more permanent forms of housing as well as prevent homelessness. City staff will be working closely with the community groups involved in these projects to ensure that they operate effectively, are connected with the additional resources that they need, and that there is no duplication of services. The regular reporting and evaluation process will keep the City abreast of emerging needs in the community and will help to better co-ordinate services to homeless people. The program will form a base for the City's response to the Mayor's Homeless Action Task Force recommendations and provide a range of services in all Community Council Districts.

Contact Name:

Joanne Campbell

Tel: 392-7885/Fax: 392-0548