Homeless Initiatives Fund - 1998 Grant Allocations

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee recommends the adoption of the recommendation in the following transmittal letter (June 11, 1998) from the Municipal Grants Review Committee:

Recommendation:

The Municipal Grants Review Committee on June 11, 1998, recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, and Council, the adoption of the attached report (May 19, 1998) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services respecting the Homeless Initiatives Fund - 1998 Grant Allocations.

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(Report dated May 19, 1998, addressed to theMunicipal Grants Review Committee from theCommissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services)

Purpose:

This report recommends $593,500.00 in grants to 19 community groups for Homeless Initiatives Fund (HIF) projects in 1998. The report will also outline plans, currently underway, for a targeted proposal call that will identify recipients for $190,000.00 in funding, the balance of the HIF for 1998.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications:

Funds are available in the approved 1998 Consolidated Grants Program Budget.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)the attached 1998 Homeless Initiatives Fund (HIF) Grants totalling $593,500.00 for 19 agencies described in Appendices A and B be approved;

(2)an amount of $190,000.00 of the HIF be held for allocation to projects to be identified through targeted proposal calls outlined in Appendix C, to be determined by the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services once community agencies have been chosen;

(3)as a condition of receipt of these grant funds, the recipient provides a final report on their use to the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services; and

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

Council Reference/Background History:

The Homeless Initiatives Fund is a program of the Housing Division that was established to identify the problems faced by homeless people and develop long term solutions through partnerships with community based groups.

The program, created in 1992 by the former City of Toronto, has grown out of a strong foundation of community partnerships and acknowledgment of the importance of a continuum of services for a wide variety of people who are homeless or are in danger of becoming homeless.

City Council at its meeting on February 4, 5, and 6, 1998, adopted a transitional grants policy to apply to all municipal grants given by Metro and the six Area Municipalities. For 1998 only, grant programs delivered in the former municipalities are available only to those community council areas. The 1998 Homeless Initiative Fund, therefore, is only available to community agencies in the Toronto Community Council District.

In addition, the transitional grants policy recommended that all organizations which received core, sustaining, or on-going funding in 1997 be given the opportunity to receive up to 50 percent of their 1997 approved allocation as an advance in 1998.

Establishment of the Homeless Initiatives Fund Program:

The Homeless Initiatives Fund Program is 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. Support is provided to ensure that homeless people are safe and healthy, to prevent people from becoming homeless and to provide them with support on their own terms. There are three objectives of this policy:

(1)Prevention:

There are people who are at risk of losing their housing due to economic circumstances, difficulty budgeting, antisocial survival behaviours, health problems, and other external issues including limited flexibility on the part of landlords. Support, through community agencies, is provided to help people maintain their housing.

(2)Outreach and Support:

There are people who are living "on the streets" and are not at the point where they are able to accept help or make changes in their lives. Support is provided through community agencies to reach out to these people through community contact.

(3)Support for Change:

Change is assisted through a variety of strategies that include access to shelter and housing, health care, economic development, and other community development projects.

Community groups with ongoing support from the Homeless Initiatives Fund have developed projects to meet these varying needs. They range from outreach and support to the most isolated street people to projects that prevent displacement, eviction, and homelessness, as well as initiatives that support people when they move into permanent housing. In some cases, they provide a strategic intervention to prevent someone from becoming homeless or losing touch with personal supports, or are able to connect people with the help they need to solve their problems.

The Homeless Initiatives Fund is not simply a grants program but is integrated into the work of the Housing Division and is an instrument to develop and implement City policies relating to homelessness. Housing staff work closely with HIF projects both directly and through project steering committees to create efficiencies, link projects to resources in the greater community and with various levels of government, and advocate for long term funding from senior levels of government.

Homeless Initiatives - Proposals for 1998:

This report recommends $593,500.00 in funding to 19 community groups. Two projects applied for an advance: Anishnawbe Health Toronto is receiving an advance of $55,500.00 on their recommended 1998 allocation of $111,000.00, and Community Information Toronto is receiving an advance of $22,500.00 on their recommended 1998 allocation of $45,000.00.

Projects in the Homeless Initiatives Fund which received funding in 1997 and had no identified performance concerns are recommended for funding in 1998 at the same level received in 1997. New projects will be identified through targeted proposal calls as outlined later in this report. The exception is the Rupert Community Residential Services grant which has been increased by $5,000.00 to provide emergency tenant relocation services to vulnerable rooming house tenants facing eviction. Housing Division staff have identified this service as a key tool in preventing homelessness among this vulnerable tenant group.

Housing staff have also been working closely with other municipal staff both prior to and after amalgamation to develop more effective programs and to co-ordinate funding to community groups. Prior to amalgamation municipal funding for groups serving homeless people came primarily from the Housing, Public Health and Planning and Development Divisions in the former City of Toronto, and from the Community Services Department (through Grants and Hostel Services programs) at the former Metropolitan Toronto.

Over the past year, Housing Division staff have been working with the agencies who are providing services through Homeless Initiatives funding to ensure that efficiencies are created, groups linked to other resources that they might need, and the services are appropriate for the target group. In addition, staff have met with each project to monitor progress and have requested detailed reporting on the services provided, partnerships developed, main accomplishments, and emerging needs identified during the course of project delivery.

Priorities for 1998 have been developed through ongoing consultations with the Alternative Housing and Services Committee and from two community consultations conducted by Housing Division staff: the "Housing Strategies for Homeless People" Workshop that was held in July 1997 and the "Continuum of Support" Community Planning and Modelling forum held in May 1998.

The Homeless Initiatives Fund has the following four components for 1998:

(1)Street Survivors Initiatives;

(2)Housing Help; and

(3)Innovations and Longer Term Initiatives.

In addition, the Homeless Initiatives Program has an additional component, the Capital Leverage Fund, which provides capital funding for community-based housing and shelter projects for homeless people. For information purposes, it is described later in this report.

The following describes each of the components of the Homeless Initiatives Fund program, proposed grants and targeted proposal calls for 1998, and specific issues that will be addressed over the course of 1998.

(1)Street Survivors Initiatives:

"Street Survivors" is a term used to describe socially isolated people who literally live on the streets, in ravines and wooded areas, or are hidden in derelict buildings, under bridges or in simply constructed forms of shelter such as cardboard boxes. They have no or limited access to community services for a wide variety of reasons. These may vary from a distrust or inappropriateness of service, fear of others or people in authority, lack of identification or frustration with complicated intake procedures, or a need to be independent.

Street Survivors initiatives address the needs of people who are on the streets. Our research and consultation with community groups has indicated that this is not a homogeneous group. Needs differ dramatically among men, women, and youth. Although all are unable to deal with the structural or emotional complexities of life in the city, their reactions vary considerably. Some people hide in shelters hidden in ravines and have little contact with others while some form small cohesive groups that support each other - men who cluster around hot air grates in the business district and youth in squats are two examples of this latter group. Women who end up on the streets do so as an absolute last resort and have learned coping mechanisms in order to survive that tend to isolate them.

This group of people, because they have been so hurt in their past, are one of the most difficult to understand. Community groups who work with them know that developing trust, knowledge and understanding takes time and patience. Determining how to address their needs presents an even greater challenge. Developing effective strategies for Street Survivors has been identified by community groups as one of the priorities for the Homeless Initiatives Fund in 1998.

The Street Survivors program has three components:

(i)Street Outreach and Connection to Services;

(ii)Street Survivors Initiatives; and

(iii)Information and Communications.

(i)Street Outreach and Connection to Services:

The Homeless Initiatives Fund has historically funded street outreach strategies to address the needs of people living on the streets, in squats (abandoned buildings) and other forms of "sleeping rough" (parks, ravines, garages). This type of project reaches out to street people by bringing them food, clothing, first aid and other essentials. Once trust is established, referrals can be made to other resources. The Homeless Initiatives Fund ensures that there is a regular service available to street people on a year round basis. This becomes the base for additional services during the cold winter months and also for emergency responses during Extreme Cold Weather Alerts.

The Street Patrol is operated by Anishnawbe Health Toronto which has been funded by the HIF since 1992. In 1998 it is recommended that $111,000.00 be provided to operate the Street Patrol, mobile street outreach service to homeless people five evenings/week, January 1, 1998 - December31,1998, and an additional two evenings/week January 1, 1998 - April 15, 1998, and November 15, 1998 - December 31, 1998. This project also receives funding for extended services from the Emergency Support Fund.

Staff are currently reviewing Street Outreach, will be conducting a community forum and will be developing an Outreach plan that covers the new City and its changing needs for 1999.

(ii)Street Survivors Initiatives:

The strategies to address the needs of men, women and youth street survivors differ dramatically. "Savard's" is a ten bed "high support/low demand" shelter program which has been operated by Homes First Society since January 1997. It has successfully provided stability for ten women who were previously on the street and were not able to maintain shelter, or were barred, from the women's hostel system. This is the first project of its kind in Canada and staff are working with the Savard's Resource Group to monitor, evaluate, and recommend improvements to the project. The HIF recommendation is for $75,000.00 in funding for operating costs.

Staff are also working on two new street survivors initiatives for men and for street youth who are not accessing community services. These initiatives are outlined in Appendix "C".

(iii)Information and Communications:

The HIF is recommending three projects for 1998: the Community Information Toronto "Street Helpline", the "Out of the Cold" program to provide training and better co-ordination of services, and Street Health to help homeless people obtain proper identification cards in order to access community services.

$45,000.00 is recommended for Community Information Toronto for the operation of the Street Helpline, a telephone information service offered free of charge to homeless people. The HIF has provided funding for this service since 1992.

Hotline "peer counsellors" who have had personal experience with life on the street answer calls. Regular Community Information Centre staff provide backup when necessary. Information available through the Hotline consists of: the location of the nearest shelter beds; location and hours of day drop-ins; availability of space in the Out of the Cold programs; befriending; crisis referrals; and directions to other services such as food banks.

$30,000.00 is recommended for training and co-ordination support to Out of the Cold, a coalition of churches who provide food and emergency overnight shelter to a wide variety of homeless people. The number of churches involved in Out of the Cold has grown dramatically in the past few years.

In 1994/95, there were ten churches involved in the program, in 1997/98 there were 24. Since it is run primarily by volunteers, the need for training and better co-ordination of services has increased. HIF support for these functions has been provided since 1996.

$10,000.00 is recommended for Street Health who have been assisting homeless people acquire the necessary identification, such as Health Cards, Citizenship and Birth Certificates, or Landing Documentation. City staff are currently working with Street Health and a variety of other agencies to develop a permanent solution to this chronic problem.

(2)Housing Help:

Housing help projects work directly with homeless people to help them find and maintain housing, assist landlords in housing homeless people, match tenants with necessary legal, medical and social support, and provide life skills training, counselling and crisis intervention where necessary. This program is extremely cost effective in that it diverts individuals from the more costly shelter system and into permanent housing.

Working in collaboration with City staff, Housing Help workers have provided essential supports to individuals who have experienced housing crises, particularly in the rooming house sector. They have helped individuals who are being evicted from substandard or illegal accommodation (squats, unlicensed rooming houses, and accommodation where "urgent hazards" related to fire and other unsafe conditions exist) to find immediate accommodation. These emergencies are becoming more and more frequent. For example, in February 1998, housing help workers helped to relocate 25 people from five unlicensed rooming houses. All 25 tenants were successfully re-housed. Effective co-ordination and planning meant that no one ended up in the shelter system or on the street as a result. Similar crises occur every six to eight weeks.

Three housing help projects which have been operating since 1996 are recommended for funding as follows: Mental Health Program Services which works with homeless men ($50,000.00), Anglican Houses "Street Outreach Services" which works with special needs youth ($50,000.00) and the Hispanic Development Council which works with Hispanic youth gangs ($47,500.00). In addition, $15,000.00 to the Rupert Residential Services is recommended for determining gaps in service to vulnerable rooming house tenants, proposing alternate service delivery models, and for moving and emergency support costs for vulnerable people being displaced from unsafe housing.

Staff are also developing a housing help strategy for vulnerable women and children. The "rent bank" pilot project is described in Appendix "C". The project was developed through a series of focus groups with community agencies that work with vulnerable women in danger of eviction due to economic circumstances. This was identified as a priority strategy for the HIF in 1998. A community group to develop and operate the project will be selected through a targeted proposal call.

(3)Innovations and Longer Term Initiatives:

Since 1992, the HIF has been supporting key initiatives that help community agencies develop innovative programs, reach new clients, develop employment skills, help people maintain their housing, and more actively participate in the solutions to their own problems.

Over the past four years the HIF has supported three types of projects: innovative community projects that are unable to get off the ground due to a lack of "seed" or start up funding, new projects that meet emerging needs in the community and where no other funding is available, and existing projects which are underfunded.

Examples of successful projects which were developed previously with HIF support:

(a)a Voice Mail project for homeless or low income people who did not have access to their own telephones. The project has been instrumental in linking hundreds of homeless people to family, jobs and community services. HIF funding was matched by the United Way. The project has evolved to include access to electronic mail;

(b)"Inspirations" provides support to homeless and marginalized women to learn job related skills by starting their own small craft businesses such as jewelry, pottery and other craft products. While these projects do not produce full time jobs they are instrumental in developing skills, enhancing self esteem and self-worth. In 1996/97 for example, 45 women produced goods which were sold at marketing events and at the Prezents of Mind consignment store; and

(c)The Strachan House "Market Garden" project utilized vacant City owned land adjacent to the Home First Society housing project for homeless people. Working in partnership with community gardeners (residents from the Niagara Community area) staff and residents from Strachan House learned how to grow and sell a variety of vegetables and herbs. Not only did tenants of Strachan House learn about market gardening but the project provided an opportunity for tenants and neighbouring residents to work together on a common project thus improving community relations.

Ten projects, as outlined in Appendix "B", are recommended for $160,000.00 in funding. In addition it is recommended that a proposal call be issued to identify recipients for $40,000.00, the balance of the Innovations and Longer Term Initiatives program. Details are outlined in Appendix "C" under "Homeless Innovations"

Capital Leverage Fund:

The Capital Leverage Fund (CLF) was created by the former City of Toronto Council in 1996. This was a one-time allocation of $1,400,000.00 to create a special capital fund to assist non-profit community groups in developing temporary shelter, permanent housing or service facilities for homeless people. Given that the funds were a one-time allocation to support projects to be developed over a number of years, the former City set up the fund as a reserve account outside the annual operating budget.

The intent of the CLF is to bring together the resources of community groups and those of the private and public sectors using City funds to leverage additional capital funds to make projects viable, to provide "equity" leverage in securing mortgages, and to lend credibility to fund-raising campaigns. Funds are provided in the form of forgivable grants and long term no-interest loans.

Selection criteria and the process used to choose projects were finalized after consultation with community groups who work with homeless people. Capital Leverage Fund projects are required to meet the following criteria:

(a) address emergency shelter or service needs or develop long term housing solutions for homeless people;

(b)involve partnerships with other community groups, public and private sector funders and/or faith groups;

(c)include other sources of funding and/or in-kind supports from other parties;

(d)be able to demonstrate ongoing viability;

(e)involve agencies with experience in housing and/or services for homeless people; and

(f)involve people who have experienced homelessness in the planning and/or operation of the project.

Five projects for a total of $500,000.00 in funding have now been completed. Through these community/City initiatives, accommodation is now being provided for more than 100 homeless people.

A sixth project with Dixon Neighbourhood Homes Inc. for 40 units of permanent housing for homeless men and women on the 30 St. Lawrence site is in its final planning stages. A CLF forgivable loan of $400,000.00 makes this project economically viable without ongoing operating subsidies.

The balance of the CLF, $500,000.00, will be used in 1998 to develop a third "Streetcity" model of housing for homeless people. Staff will be reporting back to Council on the progress of these projects.

Conclusions:

It is recommended that the projects listed in Appendix "A" receive a total of $593,500.00 in grant support from the Homeless Initiatives Fund. In addition, it is recommended that $190,000.00, the balance of the Homeless Initiatives Fund budget of $783,500.00, be held for projects to be identified through the targeted proposal calls outlined in Appendix "C",to be determined by the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services once community agencies have been chosen.

City staff have been working closely with community groups involved in these projects to solve growing and complex problems related to homelessness. It is my belief that these projects provide strategic interventions that will help people from becoming homeless, improve access to affordable housing, improve the condition of many homeless people, and provide vital services in the community. Staff will be monitoring each project to ensure that it operates efficiently and that there is no duplication of services. In many cases, my staff are able to link projects up with other resources in the community as well as City resources to improve the provision of services. In the case of the Capital Leverage Fund, City funding acts as a lever for other resources including private sector support, donations, the volunteer efforts of individuals and the co-operation of other community agencies. It is my belief that this comprehensive approach is the most effective way to maximize the use of the resources available in the Homeless Initiatives Fund.

Contact Name:

Joanne Campbell, Tel: 392-6135/Fax: 392-3037.

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Appendix A

*Anishnawbe Health Toronto is receiving an advance of $55,500.00 per Council approval already obtained. The balance of funds to be issued is $55,500.00

**Community Information Toronto is receiving an advance of $22,500.00 per Council approval already obtained. The balance of funds to be issued is $22,500.00.

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Appendix B

Summary of Projects Recommended for Funding

Street Survivors Initiatives:

Anishnawbe Street Patrol:

Funds in the amount of $111,000.00 to operate their Street Patrol, mobile street outreach service to homeless people five evenings per week from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 1998, and an additional two evenings per week from January 1, 1998 to April 15, 1998, and from November15,1998 to December 31, 1998.

Community Information Toronto:

Funds in the amount of $45,000.00 to operate the "Street Helpline", a telephone information service offered free to homeless people who need information about community services such as available shelter beds, how to find housing, where inexpensive food or meals are available etc. The Helpline will employ "peer counsellors" who have experienced homelessness.

Homes First Society (Savard's):

Funds in the amount of $75,000.00 to operate "Savard's" a 10 bed innovative housing project for chronically homeless women who have been on the streets and for whom the hostel system does not work.

Out of the Cold:

Funds in the amount of $30,000.00 to assist the "Out of the Cold" program provide better co-ordination of services run by churches involved in their program and to provide educational workshops for volunteers.

Street Health Community Nursing Foundation:

Funds in the amount of $10,000.00 to help homeless people pay the costs of identification they need to access community services.

Housing Help:

Hispanic Development Council:

Funds in the amount of $47,500.00 to prevent homelessness among Hispanic youth by outreach, crisis intervention and family counselling, assistance in maintaining housing, and linkages to appropriate community services.

Mental Health Program Services:

Funds in the amount of $50,000.00 to assist homeless people secure and keep appropriate accommodation by providing necessary supports, linking and referring homeless people to landlords that provide affordable accommodation, and educating and supporting landlords in the preservation of low income housing stock.

Anglican Houses (Street Outreach Services):

Funds in the amount of $50,000.00 to help special needs youth access or maintain housing through working in collaboration with housing and support staff in the community.

Rupert Community Residential Services Toronto Inc.:

Funds in the amount of $15,000.00 to identify services which are not being provided to vulnerable rooming house tenants, propose alternate service delivery models, to provide an emergency tenant relocation fund and to participate in a co-ordinated rooming house response strategy. The tenant relocation fund will be used to assist with first and last month's rent, transportation, moving expenses, storage of belongings, obtaining furnishings and other household items.

Innovations and Longer Term Initiatives:

Central Neighbourhood House:

Funds in the amount of $10,000.00 to operate an electronic e.mail service for homeless people to facilitate their search for employment and contact with social service agencies.

Mixed Company (Cobblestone Theatre):

Funds in the amount of $10,000.00 to be provided to cover the costs of producing educational theatrical and video productions about life on the streets and the search for housing. Projects will include current and former homeless people in the cast and crew of the production.

Neighbourhood Information Post:

Funds in the amount of $10,000.00 to work on an ongoing basis with women and children who are at high risk of becoming homeless due to abusive living situations, job loss, disability, and/or recent cuts in social assistance benefits. The project will work with women to facilitate the formation of a women's support group or "buddy system" which will help them support each other during times of crisis.

Open Door Centre and Rooms Registry:

Funds in the amount of $20,000.00 to be provided for the drop-in's Rooms Registry which assists low income and homeless people in finding clean, affordable housing. In addition, the Open Door Centre will provide workshops on specific housing issues with both landlords and tenants.

Pape Adolescent Resource Centre:

Funds in the amount of $30,000.00 to be provided to the "One Stop Housing and Financial" project to provide peer mentoring to street youths, assist them in finding housing, manage their money, to educate them on the rights and responsibilities of tenants, and to provide housing information and financial management workshops.

Regent Park Community Health Centre:

Funds in the amount of $10,000.00 to train and hire homeless and under housed women who use drop-ins to provide information, referral, support and community education services to peers.

St. Christopher House:

Funds in the amount of $20,000.00 to be provided to continue the drop-in's highly successful community economic development venture with socially isolated adults and homeless aboriginal people.

Sistering:

Funds in the amount of $20,000.00 to be provided to do outreach, linkage and referrals with low income and homeless aboriginal women.

Sojourn House:

Funds in the amount of $20,000.00 to assist refugees and refugee claimants who are living in the shelter system or who are homeless access affordable housing. The project provides funding for a housing co-ordinator to actively provide crisis support, help refugees access public and private sector housing, and provide information on housing legislation and the rights and responsibilities of tenants.

761 Development Corporation ("Inspirations"):

Funds in the amount of $10,000.00 to provide staff support and materials for Inspirations Community Economic Development project with homeless and low income women by developing small businesses and community business projects.

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Appendix C

New Projects to Be Selected Through Targeted Proposal Calls

Housing Help "Rent Bank" Pilot Project - $50,000.00:

The concept of a "rent bank" was proposed in 1996 as a result of an Eviction Prevention Forum and has received considerable support in the United States. The intention of this pilot project is to determine the extent to which a small loan and/or grant can keep a family housed, thus diverting them from the shelter system. The project will be developed and implemented by a community group selected through a targeted proposal call. The successful community group will work with a steering committee consisting of community partners with experience in landlord and tenant legislation, mediation, financial counseling, women and housing.

The project will research and develop the project, provide grants/loans, keep financial records, provide other options when a loan/grant is not appropriate (e.g., mediation, counseling), provide on-going contact and follow-up with recipients, track service use, and provide an ongoing evaluation on the effectiveness of the project. A final report with recommendations will be submitted at the end of the project year. Staff are currently working with focus groups to develop detailed operating guidelines for the project.

A targeted proposal call will be issued with a submission deadline of June 30, 1998.

Men's Street Survivors Outreach and Support Project - $50,000.00:

The Male Street Survivor Project is based on the recognition that there are some homeless men who through experience have made a clear decision that they feel safer and more at "home" living in an outside alternative. The concept has evolved from research undertaken by Mental Health Program Services with funding from the 1997 Homeless Initiatives Fund. Experienced researchers held discussions with over 197 of these men in their homes; under bridges, in ravine parklands, on the streets, or in self-constructed domiciles.

The goal of this project is to provide an outreach and support service that is non-judgmental and individually appropriate at any given time. This conclusion was reinforced by service providers who could not assist them within enclosed formal spaces where organizational rules apply. In order to succeed this model must be diverse in its approaches, highly flexible in nature, small in scale and unobtrusive.

The project will be developed and implemented by a community group with support from a steering committee comprised of city staff, and representatives from community agencies who work with this population.

A targeted proposal call will be issued with a submission deadline of June 30, 1998.

Youth Street Survivors Housing Support Project - $50,000.00:

In our experience, although some homeless youth are able to access existing housing stock when they have housing information, many others need more intensive holistic individual support to successfully find and keep housing and jobs and to access health services. This is particularly true of the youth who are actually living on the streets, in parks, in squats or other forms of "sleeping rough". The success of alternative services and street outreach strategies for street youth and the increasing numbers of street youth using services designed for homeless adults demonstrates the need for creative new strategies to work with this "service shy" population.

The Homeless Initiatives Fund plans to issue a targeted Request For Proposal (RFP) for a $50,000.00 pilot project to provide intensive housing help to youth street survivors - youth who live on the streets, in parks or in squats and/or are "service shy" and will be limited to agencies which have demonstrated an ability to reach these youth. In the response to the RFP, the agency will describe the key concepts of the pilot project including descriptions of: the housing help services, relationship of the project to their existing services, relationship with other services which these "service shy" youth sometimes access or could benefit from, the composition and role of the project's steering committee and project's time lines.

A targeted proposal call will be issued with a submission deadline of June 30, 1998.

Homeless Innovations - $40,000.00:

The goal of Homeless Innovations is to utilize the creativity and resources of homeless people and the staff who work with them by providing "seed" or start-up funding for new initiatives. Funding is not available from other sources for new initiatives of this kind. Many of the innovations funded through the Homeless Initiatives Fund have been initiated by homeless or formerly homeless people and have developed into on-going viable projects which provide benefits to a wide range of homeless people. In many cases "seed money" from the HIF attracts funding and/or resources from other organizations.

A call for proposals will be issued for four projects of $10,000.00 each. Funding will be available for one-time only start-up grants that best demonstrate the creativity and involvement of homeless people. The deadline for submissions will be June 30, 1998.

Selection of Projects:

Projects will be selected by a selection committee comprised of City staff from various divisions. In order to be considered, applicants must meet the City's requirements for grant recipients, demonstrate expertise in their respective fields and best meet the selection criteria outlined in the request for proposals (RFP).