SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 3
CS&B COMMITTEE AGENDA
JULY 25, 1996
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: July 11, 1996
Dept. File No. 3461
TO: Standing Committee on City Services and Budget
FROM: Manager of the Housing Centre
SUBJECT: Grant - Y.W.C.A. Vancouver Housing Registry
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council approve a 1996 grant of $130,420.66 for
operation of the Y.W.C.A. Vancouver Housing Registry,
representing a 3% increase over the 1995 grant level; source
of funds to be 1996 'Other' Grants Budget.
OR
If Council wishes to maintain equal cost-sharing with the
Province,
CONSIDERATION
B. THAT Council approve a 1996 grant of $126,622.00,
representing a 50/50 cost-sharing with B.C. Housing
Management Commission, and no increase over last year's
grant; source of funds to be the 1996 'Other' Grants budget.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of
A.
COUNCIL POLICY
The City supports low and moderate income tenants through the
development of social housing, rate of change and strata title
conversion provisions, and through funding housing information and
relocation services.
Approval of a grant requires eight affirmative votes.
PURPOSE
This report recommends Council approval of the 1996 request of
$130,420.66 from the Vancouver Housing Registry.
BACKGROUND
In April 1988, the Vancouver Y.W.C.A., responding to a proposal call
from the City of Vancouver and the British Columbia Housing Management
Commission (BCHMC), contracted to establish a housing registry in the
City of Vancouver. This is a service provided to both landlords and
tenants. The funding for the Vancouver Housing Registry (VHR) is
initially shared 50/50 per cent by the City and the Province (BCHMC).
Despite being a service that the City has contracted for, the source
of the funding has been 'Other' Grants.
On July 27, 1995, a grant of $126,622 was approved by Council as the
City portion of the annual funding for the period January 1, 1994 to
December 31, 1995.
Services Provided
The Vancouver Housing Registry facilitates the most complete use of
the remaining low end of market housing in Vancouver.
The Vancouver Housing Registry is a free listing service for landlords
and tenants. Landlords are encouraged to list vacancies, at no cost,
with the service. Tenants are able to access vacancy listings using
telephones provided and speak with a housing councillor for assistance
with their housing search.
Information is available on application for senior's and family
non-profit housing, and housing co-operatives in addition to market
rentals. The service works on a self-help model, supported by
Registry staff. The vast majority of tenants who use this free
service are low income and have special needs. Many live near the
margin of homelessness.
A wide range of government and community-based organizations refer
their clients and members to the Registry. A partial list of
referring agencies includes: emergency shelters, transition houses,
Health Units, Persons With A.I.D.S., MOSAIC, Seniors' Centres,
Neighbourhood Houses, Mental Health agencies, First Nations groups,
Ministry of Social Services offices and services for the mentally and
physically disabled.
There continues to be a growing trend toward a greater complexity of
problems presented by Registry clients - particularly clients with
both multiple disabilities and significant lifeskill deficits. The
Registry is especially useful to tenants for whom discrimination,
illiteracy, or language is a barrier to finding housing. Many
Registry clients do not own telephones and cannot afford to search for
rental accommodation on their own.
Staff from the VHR make presentations and lead discussions on housing
and tenants rights to groups such as Project Parent, Immigrant
Services Society, Elizabeth Fry Society and others.
The City is receiving good value from the Vancouver Housing Registry.
The City's original proposal call was based on a service estimated at
300 client contacts per month. The use of the service has grown
steadily every year of operation and is currently averaging well over
3,200 client contacts per month. Most clients name family and friends
who found housing through the Registry as their source of referral.
The VHR continues to maintain a strong working relationship with the
Tenant Assistance Program and other City supported relocation
services, sharing listings of vacancies, accepting referrals of
tenants, and providing back up when Tenant Assistance staff are
unavailable.
During the year 1995-1996, the Tenant Assistance Program, BCHMC and
the Housing Registry have reviewed and revised the data and statistics
which the Registry collects. We believe the new statistics format
will more accurately describe the complexity and amount of work done
by the Registry. The current scope of the work could not have been
anticipated when the data collection system was designed in 1988.
The Single Mother's Homesharing Network (SMHN), which shared office
space with the VHR, will not be continued. While some excellent work
was done, the effort was labour-intensive and not cost-effective. The
SMHN office space is now rented to Gail Winnecott of the Adolescent
Service Unit. This appears to be a synergistic relationship and
monies from the rentals will go toward purchase of computers to
accommodate the new data collection system.
In May 1996, Registry staff, clients, funders and Y.W.C.A. staff met
for an on-site evaluation. The purpose of the evaluation was to find
ways of enhancing efficiency without increasing costs. The sharing of
information has lead to creative solutions to problems ranging from an
overloaded computer system to violent clients and theft of equipment.
Funding Request
The Registry originally sought a budget increase greater than that set
by the City. The Registry has revised its budget to allow for a 3%
maximum increase, and can operate successfully within the revised
budget.
The 1995 and 1996 registry budgets, and the provincial and City shares
are as follows:
1995 1996
BCHMC $156,020.00 $126,622.00
City $126,622.00 $130,420.66
$282,642.00 $257,042.66 TOTAL
Originally, the costs of this service were shared between the City
(46%) and the Province (54%). In 1994, with the City's budget
restraint the cost share formula changed, the province paying 55%, the
City paying 45%. This formula has continued until this year when
BCHMC Community Services funding was reduced, matching the City's last
year's grant. If the 3% increase in funding is approved, the City
share would be 51% of the 1996 budget.
During the next year, we will be meeting with the Province to
synchronize the City and BCHMC funding schedules, and to achieve a
50/50 cost-sharing.
The $25,600 difference between the funding for 1995 and 1996 is being
bridged by monies remaining unspent after SMHN closed in 1995.
BCHMC has approved the Province's share of $126,622 of the 1996
Registry budget, and it is recommended that the City's share of
$139,866 be approved as well.
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