ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets

FROM:

Director of Social Planning

SUBJECT:

Reconsideration of Community Services Grants Applications

 

RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

On November 22, 1994, City Council established that reconsideration of grant recommendations can only occur if they are based on one or both of the following premises:

1) that eligibility criteria and priorities have not been properly applied; or

2) the financial situation of the applicant has not been properly assessed or understood.

Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.

PURPOSE

This report contains the results of the reconsideration process which was initiated by three Community Services Grants applicants, and makes recommendations based on the outcome of this process.

BACKGROUND

In November 1994, City Council approved a grants "reconsideration" process for those grant applicants who disagreed with the Social Planning Department's recommendation with regards to their applications. A key feature of the process is that there are only two grounds for requesting reconsideration (referred to in Council Policy, above). This has all but eliminated requests based solely on the fact that the group does good work (most do), or that there is considerable community support for it, or any of a number of other reasons.

All applicants for 2001 Community Service Grants were advised in late February of Social Planning's recommendations, along with our rationale for recommendations for no grants. They were also told of the reconsideration process which could be used if they disagreed with the recommendations.

Requests for reconsideration were submitted by the following organizations:

Organization

Original Recommendation

#17 DERA - Organizer

No grant

# 50 PACE - Prostitution alternatives

No grant

# 91 WAVAW - Women Against Violence Against Women

$33,180 (same as previous year's grant)

City Council subsequently, on March 27, approved Social Planning's recommendations for all Community Services Grant applications, except for the three which were referred to thereconsideration process. At that time, Council also established a reserve of $7,882 for emergencies or unforeseen circumstances. It was understood that any new or increased grants coming from the reconsideration process would be funded from this reserve. The $33,180 originally recommended for WAVAW was unallocated, and so remains available in the budget for these or other grants.

RECONSIDERATION PROCESS

The applicants for reconsideration have submitted written material supporting their requests for changes to our recommendations. This material is included in Appendix I.

Social Planning staff reviewed the original applications, supporting materials, interview notes, and the new information that was submitted with the reconsideration requests. If there was still some confusion or lack of clarity, applicants were personally contacted to ensure that staff had a clear and complete understanding of the situation.

Staff then developed recommendations based on this review of all the pertinent information, and prepared written explanations for their decisions. These comments and the recommendations, along with the applicants' submission, are attached as Appendix I.

The original recommendations for all are being reconfirmed.

All applicants were advised that they could make presentations to Council if they were still in disagreement with the staff recommendations. Some of them may wish to appear as delegations when this report is dealt with by Council.

CONCLUSION

After a careful and thorough review of the three applications that were referred, by the applicants, to the reconsideration process, Social Planning staff concluded that their original recommendations should remain unchanged.

* * * * *

Downtown Eastside Residents Association - Organizer (#17)

Request $52,000
2000 Grant $27,540 TERMINATING GRANT
Social Planning Initial Recommendation $0 NO GRANT

Program Description (summarized from the grant application)

Community Organizer - This is a management position whose stated focus is community organizing in order to end homelessness. The essential feature of this position is to organize community members around issues that have an effect on the community.

Social Planning's Initial Response

NO GRANT. Last year, Council approved a terminating grant for this program. This year, DERA has applied for funding for an additional community development worker, but the City is already committing substantial resources to the Community Directions process, for overall community organizing and development.

Basis for Reconsideration

DERA is requesting that their submission for a grant be reconsidered on the basis that the eligibility criteria and priorities have not been properly applied.

In their submission letter, DERA indicates that the description of Community Development Worker is not the correct description for the position they are applying for. They then proceed to outline their concept of the position they are applying for.

DERA indicates that the Community Organizer "will assess the needs of the community by developing strategies that will increase neighbourhood involvement and enhancement, and that this will be augmented through individuals and associations that work towards monitoring standards of poverty, health, safety and security of tenure in local housing situations, by direct outreach and by lobbying all levels of government to deal conscientiously with these ongoing problems."

For a complete detail of DERA's argument, please refer to the attached letter.

Social Planning Comments

It is Social Planning's view that there is a great deal of similarity between DERA's description of the Community Organizer's work, and the work one might expect from a Community Development Worker. Concerns raised in the Social Planning's initial comments, whether they refer to a Community Organizer or a Community Development Worker are still valid.

DERA has been receiving City funding for a Community Organizer for almost 20 years. Over the past 3 years, staff have requested clearer reports from DERA regarding the nature, purpose and effectiveness of activities funded under this program.

Last year, it was staff view that this program has evolved to a point that no longer qualified for a Community Services Grant and therefore a Terminating Grant was recommended and approved for the year 2000.

The main concern indicated last year at the time of terminating DERA's grant, was that
"increasing amounts of time were being spent on community economic development activities, to the point where it appeared to constitute the primary role of the DERA staff person that the City was funding." It was viewed at the time that this approach felt within the legislated mandate of other governments or departments, which makes it NOT eligible for CSG funding.

In conclusion, the information presented in DERA's reconsideration request does not alter staff's view that substantial resources for overall community organizing and development are being committed by the City through the Community Directions process. It is staff view that funding for the position as outlined by DERA would constitute a duplication of services.

Recommendation

NO GRANT.

Not electronically available.

PACE - Prostitution Alternatives Counselling and Education (#50)

Request $40,000
2000 Grant $0
Social Planning Initial Recommendation $0 NO GRANT

Program Description (summarized from the grant application)

PACE is a peer driven program that offers: outreach/crisis intervention, community and client support, advocacy, prevention programs in youth detention facilities, research and second stage housing for young women in the survival sex trade.

PACE is applying for City funding to expand their service for a full time outreach/advocate staff position to work with adult women (19 and over) involved in the sex trade.

Social Planning's Initial Response

Staff recommended NO GRANT on the basis that expanding an existing service to include older clientele was not seen as a high enough priority, at this time, to receive new funding from a limited grants budget.

Basis for Reconsideration

PACE requested reconsideration on the basis that "the eligibility and priorities have not been properly applied". In the letter which explains their request (see attached), PACE refers to the objectives and intents of the Community Services Grants program that are used in evaluating grant applications. They also refer to problems and dangers faced by individuals in the sex trade, and suggest that dealing with these should be a City priority. Finally, they claim that their proposal falls under most of the Priority Services listed for Community Services Grants.

Social Planning Comments

After reviewing this application and receiving clarification on the services currently provided and those that are planned for the future, staff are again recommending no grant, at this time, for PACE. Staff have no quarrel with the assertion that there is a high need for services for street youth, including those involved in the sex trade. However, the Federal, Provincial and City governments are already funding a number of programs and services for this group.

PACE is currently receiving Federal, Provincial and other funding for their services, and will continue providing these services, even if no City grant is approved.

Social Planning has initiated discussions with the Ministry of Children and Families about the need for a review of services to youth, which includes the 19-24 age group. It may turn out that there is agreement that there are gaps in service that are best met by an expansion of PACE's programs, and that the City should be involved in a funding partnership. On the other hand, some changes to other existing programs may be deemed to be the best solution. In any event, staff feel it is inappropriate to recommend funding a new service in this area until such a review has been completed and the need for a new service, delivered by PACE, has been confirmed.

Recommendation

NO GRANT

APPENDIX I - B3 & B4 not electronically available.

Women Against Violence Against Women (WAVAW) (#91)

Request $47,000
2000 Grant $33,180
Social Planning Initial Recommendation $33,180

Program Description (summarized from the grant application)
WAVAW provides sexual assault services to victims, including a 24 hour crisis line, one-to-one counselling, support groups, advocacy and accompaniment to hospital and police.

WAVAW requested funding for two part-time positions:
A) Outreach ethno-cultural community worker to ensure that women in ethno-cultural communities know about and can access WAVAW services, and to recruit volunteers from these communities.
B) Youth worker to outreach to young women via website designed for young women, including chat line and on line counselling.

Social Planning's Initial Response
Social Planning recommended a grant at the same level as last year's to fund an aboriginal outreach worker. This grant is subject to a CONDITION that the Society submit a work plan including anticipated accomplishments before July 1st and provide subsequent progress reports.
(Previous years' grants have been for work with other cultural communities.)

The proposed outreach to young women represents a new initiative for WAVAW. Social Planning staff did not support this additional project for the following reasons: 1) the proposal is still in the developmental phase e.g. the webpage and work plan are still being developed, and 2)WAVAW has gone through a substantial reorganization in the past year, to respond to concerns on the part of all its funders. While staff are optimistic about this organizational work, and have recommended funding for the aboriginal outreach (for which a clear work plan also needs to be developed), we were not prepared to consider additional funding or new funding to WAVAW this year.

Basis for Reconsideration
WAVAW is requesting the additional funding ($14,000) on the basis that the majority of sexual assaults are against women under 25 , that a new approach is needed to reach these young women, and that the City could assist with this work.

Social Planning Comments
Staff met with WAVAW. Some work has been done to clarify the youth outreach proposal but it is still in developmental stages. Staff are of the view that the existing grant CONDITION must be met before any additional funding can be considered.

Recommendation Staff recommend a grant of $33,180.

Not electronically available.