Toronto Tenant Grants Administration

The Housing Secretariat is seeking organizations with the following mandatory eligibility requirements:

1. The organization shall be:
   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 who may also provide culturally-based programming outside the boundaries of the city
2. The services funded through the Call for Applications shall take place within the boundaries of the city, 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 shall provide 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 shall have legal not-for-profit or charitable status or be an urban off-reserve Indigenous-led organization
5. The organization shall not be or have been indebted to the City or be 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 shall maintain, at its own expense, policies of insurance, which policies shall 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 must be submitted to the City
7. The organization shall secure, 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”).

Please note there may be additional requirements related to the Scope of Work that will be included in the application package.

The purpose of this funding category is to invite eligible organizations with the demonstrated experience to submit an application to administer the City of Toronto’s Rent Bank Grant Program (RBGP) and the Emergency Energy Fund (EEF). The successful applicant will be responsible for conducting intakes directly with applicants, reviewing for program eligibility and administering payments, in partnership with the City-funded Local Access Centres. In addition, the organization will be responsible for overseeing the central administration of the following initiatives.

1. Rent Bank Grant Program
   The RBGP provides grants that are paid to landlords on behalf of low income tenants in Toronto who are at imminent risk of losing their homes due to rental arrears or require help with a rental deposit to ensure low income residents are able to secure housing and avoid homelessness.
2. Emergency Energy Fund
   The EEF provides grants that are paid to energy providers on behalf of low income tenants in Toronto who are facing energy related emergencies to avoid disconnection or to have their energy services reconnected to stabilize their housing.

Additional program information and guidelines will be provided to the successful organization during the onboarding process.

Service Delivery Requirements

The scope of work for this funding category includes:

1. A Central Intake and Application Process: Establishing a central intake and application process for residents to submit an application and to assess for program eligibility, as per the City’s program guidelines.
2. Central Administration and Coordination Services: Leading and overseeing the administration of the Rent Bank Grant Program and the Emergency Energy Fund, in partnership with the City-Funded Local Access Centres (LACs).
3. Responsive Services: Providing responsive services that will improve access and supports for Toronto residents, including vulnerable populations and equity-deserving groups.
4. A Cloud Based Technology Solution: Providing 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: Preparing and issuing payments of all RBGP and EEF approved applications, in accordance with the City’s program guidelines.
6. Communication and Outreach Strategies: Promoting and providing information services regarding the RBGP and the EEF using a variety of communication strategies to program clients, partners, Toronto residents and City staff.
7. Program Oversight: Leading and coordinating the Steering Committee and the Operational Committee, in partnership with the City, to oversee the administration and the delivery of the RBGP and the EEF.
8. Staff Training: Onboarding and training staff, including the Local Access Centres’ staff, on program eligibility, program requirements and business processes.
9. Grant Fund Management and Reporting: Performing all relevant accounting functions related to the management of the grant funds and completing reporting requirements to the Housing Secretariat.

A full list of the service delivery requirements will be outlined in the Scope of Work section of the application guide included in the application package.

Funding Term and Available Funding

The selected organization will enter into a funding agreement beginning July 1, 2023 to March 31, 2026.

The annual program budget for the Rent Bank Grant Program and the Emergency Energy Fund is approximately $5.3 million (subject to City Council approval through the annual budget process). Organizations can allocate a maximum of 15 per cent of the annual program budget to administer the service delivery requirements.

The annual program budget includes the administration component to deliver the services and the grant fund delivered to residents. The City recognizes the importance of providing the maximum amount of available funding to eligible households and expects organizations to consider administrative efficiencies in administering the Rent Bank Grant Program and the Emergency Energy Fund when submitting an application.

Organizations are instructed to submit an annual budget that aligns with the Scope of Work.

The budget submitted to deliver the administration of services will be evaluated and will be a key component to determine the best overall value to the City.

Eligible organizations with demonstrated experience are invited to submit an application to provide payment preparation, payment distribution and administration services. 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.

1. Bridging Grant
   The Bridging Grant (BG) supports persons experiencing homelessness residing in an emergency shelter or persons living outside to secure permanent housing. The BG provides grants, paid to the landlords on behalf of the applicant, to cover first month’s rent and/or the rent deposit (last month’s rent) when moving to new rental housing.
2. Enhanced Bridging Grant Benefit
   The Enhanced Bridging Grant Benefit (EBGB) 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.
3. EPIC Fund
   The EPIC Fund provides grants, paid to the landlords and/or third party housing stability service providers on behalf of low income tenants, of the EPIC Program.

Additional program information will be provided to the successful organization during the onboarding process.

Service Delivery Requirements

The scope of work for this funding category includes:

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

A full list of the service delivery requirements will be outlined in the Scope of Work section of the application guide included in the application package.

Funding Term and Available Funding

The selected organization will enter into a funding agreement beginning July 1, 2023 to March 31, 2026.

The annual program budget for the EPIC Fund, the Bridging Grant and the Enhanced Bridging Grant Benefit is approximately $3.7 million (subject to City Council approval through the annual budget process). Organizations can allocate a maximum of 10 per cent of the annual program budget to administer the service delivery requirements.

The annual program budget includes the administration component to deliver the services and the grant fund provided to residents. The City recognizes the importance of providing the maximum amount of funding to eligible households and expects organizations to consider administrative efficiencies in delivering the services when submitting an application.

Organizations are instructed to submit an annual budget that aligns with the Scope of Work.

The budget submitted to deliver the administration of services will be evaluated and will be a key component to determine the best overall value to the City.

A recording of the virtual information session, which was held on Dec. 7, 2022 is available below. You can also download the presentation.

For more information, refer to the final Q&As.

If it becomes necessary to revise any part of the Call for Applications, post questions and answers or to clarify aspects of the funding opportunity, information will be circulated electronically by Addendum and noted on the Housing Support and Homelessness Grants webpage.

Applicants should monitor this page frequently until the day of submission. The City reserves the right to revise the Call for Applications up to the stated deadline.

The deadline to submit an application was Wednesday, February 1, 2023. The application period is now closed.