Toronto Tenant Grants Administration

Toronto Rent Bank and Emergency Energy Fund Administration

Eligible organizations with the demonstrated experience were invited to apply to administer the City’s Toronto Rent Bank Program and the Emergency Energy Fund. The successful applicant will be responsible for overseeing the central administration functions, as well as conducting intakes with applicants, reviewing for program eligibility and administering payments, in partnership with the City-funded Local Access Centres.

The Rent Bank provides grants to support Toronto tenants who are behind on their rent and at imminent risk of losing their homes or require help with a rental deposit to secure housing and avoid homelessness.

The Emergency Energy Fund provides grants that are paid to energy providers on behalf of low-income tenants to avoid disconnection or to have their energy services reconnected to stabilize their housing.

Service Delivery Requirements

1. A Central Intake and Application Process: Establish a process for residents to apply and to assess for program eligibility, as per the City’s program guidelines.
2. Central Administration and Coordination Services: Lead and oversee the administration of the Rent Bank Program and the Emergency Energy Fund, in partnership with the City-Funded Local Access Centres (LACs).
3. Responsive Services: Provide responsive services that will improve access and supports for Toronto residents, including vulnerable populations and equity-deserving groups.
4. A Cloud-Based Technology Solution: Provide technology-oriented solutions to submit and receive online applications, to review and assess for program eligibility and to track payment issuances to payees.
5. Payment Administration: Prepare and issue payments of all approved applications, in accordance with the City’s program guidelines.
6. Communication and Outreach Strategies: Promote and provide information about services to program clients, partners, Toronto residents and City staff using a variety of communication strategies.
7. Program Oversight: Lead and coordinate the Steering Committee and the Operational Committee, in partnership with the City, to oversee the administration and the delivery of the programs.
8. Staff Training: Onboard and train staff, including the Local Access Centres’ staff, on program eligibility, program requirements and business processes.
9. Grant Fund Management and Reporting: Perform all relevant accounting functions related to the management of the grant funds and complete reporting requirements to the City’s Housing Secretariat.

Bridging Grant and Eviction Prevention in the Community (EPIC) Fund Payment Administration

Eligible organizations with demonstrated experience were invited to apply to provide payment preparation, payment distribution and administration services for the Bridging Grant and the EPIC Fund. While the successful applicant will be responsible for administering payments to approved payees, the eligibility and intake process will be completed directly by City staff, and the organization will be responsible to provide timely and efficient payment processing for the following initiatives:

The Bridging Grant supports persons experiencing homelessness residing in an emergency shelter or living outside to secure permanent housing. These grants, paid to the landlords on behalf of the applicant, to when moving to new rental housing.

The Enhanced Bridging Grant Benefit is a grant paid directly to an approved client staying in an encampment upon moving into housing to support the successful attainment of housing and items related to the transition to indoor living.

The EPIC Program provides grants, paid to landlords and/or third-party housing stability service providers, on behalf of low-income tenants.

The Bridging Grant, Enhanced Bridging Grant Benefit, and EPIC are referral-based programs.

Service Delivery Requirements

1. Payment Administration: Prepare and issue grant payments, in accordance with instructions and directions from City of Toronto staff.
2. A Cloud-Based Technology Solution: Provide technology-oriented solutions to submit and receive grant payment requests from City staff and to track payment issuances to payees.
3. Responsive Services: Provide responsive services to improve payment processing timelines and respond to inquiries and concerns in a timely manner.
4. Grant Fund Management and Reporting: Perform all relevant accounting functions related to the management of the grant funds and complete reporting requirements to the City’s Housing Secretariat.

Eligibility Requirements

1. The organization is:
   1. located within the boundaries of the city of Toronto, or
   2. an urban, off-reserve Indigenous-led organization located in the city of Toronto that may also provide culturally based programming outside the boundaries of the city.
2. The services funded through the Call for Applications take place within the boundaries of the city of Toronto, with the exception of services being delivered by urban, off-reserve Indigenous-led organizations, that yield direct benefits for the urban Indigenous communities of Toronto.
3. The organization provided information which demonstrates that it does not, in the absence of the grant, have the financial resources necessary to undertake the activity for which the grant is requested.
4. The organization has legal not-for-profit or charitable status or is an urban, off-reserve Indigenous-led organization.
5. The organization is not indebted to the City or in default of the terms and conditions of any agreement (including any previous grant agreement) with any division, agency, board of commission of the City of Toronto under the discretion of the Division Head.
6. The organization has and will maintain, at its own expense, policies of insurance, which policies will be in a form with an insurer acceptable to the City. A certificate evidencing these policies signed by the insurer or an authorized agent of the insurer has been submitted to the City.
7. The organization has secured and will maintain and pay all costs for Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (“WSIB”) workers’ compensation coverage for its employees performing work on the Project pursuant this Agreement, where statutory required under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 (“WSIA”).