ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: February 25, 1999
Author/Local: J. Davidson/7670
RTS No. 543
CS&B Date: April 29, 1999

CC File No. 4659

TO:	Standing Committee on City Services & Budgets
FROM:	Director of the Housing Centre
SUBJECT:	Grant Request for a Temporary Winter Shelter

RECOMMENDATION

THAT Council approve a grant of $100,000 to Lookout Emergency Aid Society for operating a temporary winter shelter at 8982 Hudson Street for 1997/1998 and 1998/1999. Source of funds is the Affordable Housing Fund.

GENERAL MANAGER’S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services recommends approval of the foregoing.

COUNCIL POLICY

Council’s housing priorities are low and modest income families with children, seniors, low-income singles living in downtown rooming houses and hotels, and those with mental or physical disabilities.

In November 1996, Council approved a grant of $50,000 to Lookout Emergency Aid Society for a temporary 1996/1997 winter shelter at 8982 Hudson.

A grant requires 8 votes of Council.

BACKGROUND

The Marpole Shelter has been operated by Lookout Emergency Aid Society on a temporary basis for four winters starting in February 1996. The City provided a grant of $50,000 for the 1996/1997 winter operation. Lookout made a similar grant request for the 1997/1998 operation which is incorporated into this report.

DISCUSSION

There are about 400 year-round shelter beds in the Lower Mainland, 300 of which are in Vancouver. In recent years there has been more coordination among shelter providers and funders to address the needs of homelessness. This year, a cold weather strategy was developed, with input from City staff, through which an additional 140 temporary spaces were added in the Lower Mainland, 90 of them in Vancouver.

The Marpole Shelter is a temporary location, operating from November through April. It is part of the Lower Mainland cold weather strategy. The building is a former remand centre, owned by the British Columbia Building Corporation and is for sale.

The Marpole operation provides shelter and meals for people outside the Downtown core. The occupancy at the shelter continues to be high. Last year people were turned away 239 times and this year, to the end of January, there have been 103 turnaways.

The “hometown” of those accommodated for the first three months of this year’s operation is as follows:

Vancouver	61%
Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley/Sunshine Coast	8%
Rest of B.C.	7%
Rest of Canada	20%
Out of Canada	3%

The total sources of funding and expenditures for the Marpole Shelter are as follows:

1997/1998

Revenue $316,733 Ministry of Human Resources, Ministry of Housing, Greater Vancouver Mental Health (VRHB), Cash Donations.

Actual Expenditures 366,733

($50,000)
=======

1998/1999

Revenue $360,795 Ministry of Human Resources, Ministry of Housing, Greater Vancouver Mental Health, Vancouver Richmond Health Board, Vancouver Foundation, Burwell Foundation, Central City Foundation, Vancouver Food Bank, Salvation Army Dunsmuir House, Cash Donations.
Proposed Expenditures 430,829

($70,034)
=======

The increase in budget for 1998/1999 is due partly to increased staffing costs as a result of health sector collective bargaining and to the inclusion of a value for in-kind food donations.

The budget for both years is in Appendix A. Last year, Lookout temporarily moved funds from another program account to cover the $50,000 requested from the City. If the City does not provide a grant this year, Lookout will experience a shortfall of $70,034 with few other possibilities for donations. Even with a City grant the current budget is $20,034 short and Lookout is planning to deal with that by further grant requests to Ministry of Human Resources and church groups or closing the shelter earlier than April 30.

When the temporary shelter opened, Lookout met with local businesses and neighbours to foster a positive relationship. This has continued and few complaints have been received about the facility. Local groups and individuals continue to provide donations and volunteer services such as cleaning and resume-writing assistance.

As noted above, the funding of shelters is primarily the responsibility of the Provincial government and the City plays a supportive role. The City opens the Gathering Place and the Evelyne Saller Centre on very cold nights, with staff costs reimbursed by the Ministry of Human Resources. This has occurred on 8 nights so far this winter.

It is recommended that the City provide a grant to Lookout for the operation of a temporary shelter at 8982 Hudson Street. This project should be supported by the City because it meets a community need for temporary winter accommodation outside the Downtown core. It is an example of the kind of partnerships the City supports which bring together various provincial ministries, the municipal level and the private sector. It is well run and has generated few complaints from its neighbours.

* * * * *

APPENDIX A

Budget for Marpole Lookout Shelter

	Nov. 1, 1998 - Apr. 30, 1999 Operating Budget	Nov. 1, 1997 - Apr. 30, 1998 Actual Statement
REVENUE
MHR Grant	$100,000	$226,625
Vancouver Richmond Health Board	75,000	0
City of Vancouver	0	0
Ministry of Housing Rental Grant	42,000	42,000
Greater Vancouver Mental Health	10,000	10,000
Donations - Cash	23,460	10,285
Carried over previous year shelter	13,335	27,823
Vancouver Foundation	35,000	0
Burwell Foundation	10,000	0
Central City Mission Foundation	20,000	0
Vancouver Food Bank - in food	12,000	0
Salvation Army Dunsmuir House in food	20,000	0
Real Estate Foundation	0	0
TOTAL	$360,795	$316,733

EXPENSES
Staff	$270,658	$209,413
Rent. inc. Utilities	42,000	42,000
Garbage Removal	2,678	2,117
Office Supplies, Insurance, Accounting Expenses, Phone, GST Expenses	18,052	18,347
Supplies - Food, Linen, Janitorial, Medical	94,981	79,198
Transportation	2,460	2,323
Carried over to 1998/99 operating	0	13,335
TOTAL	$430,829	$366,733
Shortfall	(70,034)	(50,000)

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver