ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

                                                        Date: April 1, 1996
                                                        Dept. File No. 1666


   TO:       Vancouver City Council

   FROM:     Manager of the Housing Centre

   SUBJECT:  Grant Request - Canadian Housing & Renewal Assn.
             1996 National Conference


   RECOMMENDATION

        THAT Council approve a grant of $1,000 to the 1996 Canadian Housing
        & Renewal Assn. National Conference, with the source of funds to be
        the Demolition Fee Reserve.

   GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

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

   COUNCIL POLICY

   Council  policy is to provide grants  for local conferences if the topic
   is relevant to the City s corporate business, and senior City staff  are
   directly  involved in organizing and hosting the conference.  The City's
   contribution for 1996 is $4.70 per delegate to a maximum of $5000.

   PURPOSE

   This report seeks  Council approval of a grant of  $1,000 to support the
   1996 national conference  of the Canadian Housing  & Renewal Association
   (CHRA).

   BACKGROUND

   On  December  16,   1993,  Council  approved  the   current  policy  for
   contributions  to local conferences.  The City s contribution was set at
   $4.50 per  delegate for 1994,  to be  adjusted for inflation  for future
   years.  The maximum grant is $5,000.

   The  City of Vancouver has been a long standing member of CHRA.  CHRA is
   the organization that represents social housing providers across Canada.
   Its  membership  includes  government  officials,  and   social  housing
   sponsors,  developers,  advocates  and  tenants.    It  has  a  national
   membership of 500. 
   DISCUSSION

   The  28th national conference of CHRA will  be held in Vancouver May 22-
   24.   An  estimated  150 delegates  are  expected, plus  exhibitors  and
   speakers for  a  total attendance  of  200.   There  will  be  workshops
   covering  a range of social  housing issues, including  housing for low-
   income  singles, redeveloping  inner  city neighbourhoods,  the changing
   roles of government, and new ways  to create affordable housing.   There
   will be plenary sessions related to  the national housing agenda, and to
   Habitat II  which  is to  take place  in Istanbul  in June.   A  special
   Habitat  II  forum  on May  25th,  following  the  conference, is  being
   organized  by UBC s Centre for Human Settlements in conjunction with the
   CHRA conference.

   The conference  is very relevant  to the City  of Vancouver.   The Mayor
   will be welcoming the delegates at the opening  ceremonies,  the Manager

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   of  the Housing  Centre is  a member  of the  Steering Committee,  and a
   senior housing planner will be speaking.  It is recommended that Council
   approve a grant  of $1,000 for the  1996 CHRA national conference  (200+
   delegates x $4.70), with funding to be provided from  the Demolition Fee
   Reserve.  



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