|
CITY OF VANCOUVER ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT |
Date: |
June 23, 2004 | |
Author: |
Anne Kloppenborg | |
Phone No.: |
871-6031 | |
RTS No.: |
4369 | |
CC File No.: |
2151 | |
Meeting Date: |
July 22, 2004 |
TO: |
Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets |
FROM: |
Director of Social Planning |
SUBJECT: |
Emergency Grant Request - WISH Drop-in Centre |
CONSIDERATION
THAT Council approve an emergency grant of $10,000 to WISH Drop-in Centre Society; the source of funds to be 2004 Contingency Reserve, and that this amount be added to the Community Services Grants budget.
CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The City Manager advises that given the demand currently being placed on Contingency Reserve, this request is being submitted to Council for Council's consideration.
COUNCIL POLICY
Approval of a grant requires 8 affirmative votes.
On April 8, 2004, during the Reconsideration process, Council did not approve the requested increase to the recommended grant, but did approve a grant of $34,000 to WISH Drop-in Centre (WISH), with the condition that "WISH will work with Social Planning staff and other government stakeholder groups to identify concrete steps to restructure its operations in order to ensure maximum efficiency of running and financing the drop-in centre and its programs."
In February, 1987, Council approved a policy limiting appeals only to emergency situations: "... Council [will] only consider appeals wherein additional funds are required to prevent unforeseen circumstances affecting staff lay-offs or the survival of an organization."
PURPOSE
This report recommends approval of an emergency grant of $10,000 to WISH. This funding, in combination with a total of $30,000 from other funding sources, will enable WISH to have safe staffing levels for a 4-hour/day, 6-day/week operation, prevent the loss of WISH's office space and help stabilize the organization as it moves forward with future plans.
BACKGROUND
WISH Drop-in Centre offers a safe place and support services to women in the survival sex trade. The City has provided Community Services Grants to WISH since 1991. For the 2004 Community Services Grants program, staff recommended a grant of $34,000. WISH requested reconsideration of this amount on the basis that their financial situation had changed since the original application was submitted. Social Planning's assessment at the time of the reconsideration process was that WISH is an important service which is facing real financial and organizational pressures, but additional discussion was needed with WISH and other potential funders to identify precise funding needs. Social Planning undertook to report back to Council as soon as possible, with recommendations as to the Society's organizational needs and the appropriate level of support which can be considered by the City.
DISCUSSION
WISH has undertaken an organizational development process which will produce a plan to guide daily operations, a fundraising plan and a longer-term plan. WISH clients and staff, as well as funders, are providing input to this work, which will be completed over the summer.
After extensive discussions with WISH and other funders, staff have confirmed that WISH has an immediate need for $40,000 in additional funding to stabilize its drop-in service and general operations over the year. (Appendix A - Letter). Staff are recommending an emergency grant of $10,000 which, if Council approves this amount being added to the Community Services Grants budget, would increase the City's annual support to WISH to $44,000. The other sources of funding include Status of Women Canada, the Provincial Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, and the City's DTES program fund, which have agreed to provide one-time contributions totalling $30,000.
WISH has been experiencing financial and organizational pressures which reached a crisis point early in 2004 and forced the Society to lay off staff and cut back on the hours of operation of its drop-in centre. Rather than recommending an increase to WISH's grant during the reconsideration process, staff recommended approval of City funding at last year's level, pending an assessment of WISH's organizational and funding needs.
Since April, 2004, WISH has added new Board members, recruited volunteers to help provide meals and other services, retained a consultant to assist with developing an organizational and fundraising plan, and worked successfully with PACE ( Prostitution Alternatives Counselling and Education Society), to plan and initiate the Mobile Outreach Project ( MAP), a van which provides outreach support to survival sex workers. WISH has also increased its fundraising from private donations. However the organization has a number of challenges:
· Increasing demand for its services. Nightly attendance has gone from 80-110 nights in 2002, to 100-150 in 2003. This spring, some nights have seen over 200 women using the drop-in. There is a strong need to reinstate the 6-night/week, 4-hour/day opening.
· Increasing safety concerns, which mean that additional staff are needed to ensure the safety of women and staff during whatever hours the drop-in is open.
· The loss of an MHR life-skills program ($126,000) which, in addition to providing needed supports for women, covered the rent costs for WISH offices. WISH will have to close its offices in August unless additional funding can be found.
· The ongoing frustration regarding finding a larger space for the drop-in centre, either temporary or permanent. WISH, City and VA members have looked at numerous sites and have yet to find a feasible alternative.
The combined effect of a City contribution of $10,000, plus the $30,000 from other sources, will be to enable WISH to reinstate its 4-hour/day, 6-night/week drop in, with safe staff levels, and to keep its offices. This is not a permanent solution but it will stabilize WISH's core operations and allow time for WISH to work on its organizational and fundraising plans, program development and, with its City and other partners, the search for a new space.
CONCLUSION
The recommended additional funding will help stabilize WISH, enable women in the survival sex trade to be safely assisted, and enable WISH to focus on future planning needs
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