ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: June 11, 2001
Author/Local: Jill Davidson/7670

RTS No. 02137

CC File No. 4659/3253

Council: September 18, 2001

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of the Housing Centre
SUBJECT:	Housing and Homelessness Grant to FCM

RECOMMENDATION

THAT a grant of $7,710 be provided to the FCM National Housing Policy Options Team (NHPOT), the source of funds being Contingency Reserve.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

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

COUNCIL POLICY

Approval of a grant requires eight affirmative votes from Council.

On January 5, 1999 City Council joined other Canadian municipalities in declaring homelessness a national disaster and passed a number of motions calling for action by the federal government and supporting FCM's call for Federal action.

BACKGROUND

The City of Vancouver has a fifty year history of involvement in the provision of affordable housing. Although housing is a responsibility of senior governments, the City has played a supportive role through land leases and grants.

City Council has consistently called on the federal government to become re-involved with funding new social housing since its withdrawal in 1993. At the beginning of 1999 the City joined other municipalities in a national effort spearheaded by the City of Toronto to focus attention on housing and homelessness.

On April 27, 1999, Council unanimously approved a grant of $15,420 to the Big City Mayors' Caucus, FCM, for the Initiative on Homelessness and Housing.

On June 13, 2000, Council unanimously approved a grant of $10,280 to the Big City Mayors' Caucus, FCM, for the Initiative on Homelessness and Housing.

DISCUSSION

This report supports a grant request to FCM as indicated in the letter contained in Appendix A.

The National Housing Policy Options Team (NHPOT) was created by the Big City Mayors' Caucus in November 1998. Since then, the following have been done:

· A National Symposium on Homelessness and Housing was sponsored by the FCM and the City of Toronto in March 1999. Just prior to the Symposium, Prime Minister Chrétien appointed Claudette Bradshaw to work on coordinating a federal response. She and her staff were invited to participate in the NHPOT discussions periodically. She also met with many Mayors and Councillors across the country, including Vancouver.

·NHPOT presented the "National Housing Policy Options Team Report - A Call for Action" to the June 1999 FCM Annual Convention. The document was adopted unanimously and contained direction for further work.

·On December 17, 1999, Claudette Bradshaw, Federal Co-ordinator for Homelessness, announced $753 million in funding for initiatives aimed at homelessness. Minister Bradshaw recognized the efforts of FCM in making the initiative possible. (This included funding to extend the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program). There was also the inclusion in the federal budget of a GST rebate for new rental housing.

·During 2000, many meetings and presentations were made to federal government officials and politicians to ensure that the Red Book III commitment to fund the creation of 60,000 to 120,000 units of affordable rental housing over the next four years, in concert with the provincial and territorial governments.

·In October, 2000, publication of the FCM "A National Affordable Housing Strategy" which calls for:
1. A ten-year flexible federal capital grant program
2. Measures to attract new investment
3. Provincial/territorial shelter and rental assistance initiatives

As a result of this work, the federal government has acknowledged it has a role in homelessness and affordable housing. However, NHPOT believe that the homelessness initiative and federal budget items are only the beginning. Continued effort is needed to ensure that the federal government continues with further housing initiatives.

The NHPOT Steering Committee proposes that the work of the team continue to implement the balance of the policy options, including means to ensure that the private sector re-enters the market, in partnership with all levels of government. A budget of $148,000 is proposed to cover expenses of consultants, FCM support, communications, translation, etc. Copies of the two major reports produced to date are on file in the City Clerk's office.

The grant request is for $0.015/capita which is $7,710 based on the 1996 Census Vancouver population of 514,008. A similar request has been made to the other major cities. Last year 40 Canadian municipalities participated, including City of Surrey, City of North Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, City of New Westminster. The grant would be administered by FCM.

The Director of the Housing Centre recommends this grant. This funding will enable the NHPOT to continue the task of re-engaging the federal government in housing programs, in partnership with municipal and provincial governments, the non-profit and private sectors. By making a grant, the City of Vancouver will maintain a position on the NHPOT Steering Committee. It is important that Vancouver participate in this process to ensure the potential programs suit the Vancouver situation.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver