ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: January 2, 1998

Author/Local: S. Macrae/7270

C.C. File No. 1161/4656

TO: Vancouver City Council

FROM: Director of Communications, in consultation with

Manager of the Housing Centre

SUBJECT: Social Housing Public Information Strategy

CONSIDERATION

The following are submitted as optional courses of action for Council to consider with respect to a Social Housing Public Information Strategy. Each option is outlined more fully in the body of this report.

A.THAT Council approve a Social Housing Public Information Program that includes an information brochure, fact sheets and display at a total cost not to exceed $10,000, source of funds to be the 1998 Revenue Budget.

OR

B.THAT Council approve a Social Housing Public Information Program that includes an information brochure, fact sheets, display and video at a total cost not to exceed $25,000, source of funds to be the 1998 Revenue Budget.

CITY MANAGER’S COMMENTS

The City Manager submits the choice between A and B for Council's CONSIDERATION.

COUNCIL POLICY

On July 26, 1990, Council approved the following communication objectives as City policy and as a guiding framework for the development of a City Communications Program:

1.Vancouverites should know about and understand pending City decisions through participation and comment.

2.Public involvement should occur in an atmosphere of openness and trust; where the purposes of consultation are clear; and where the rights and obligations of the public, of City staff, and of Council are fully understood by all participants.

3.Vancouverites should receive clear and accurate information about any City program, service or regulation which affects their lives or livelihoods.

4.City information should be delivered through media which effectively attract the attention of those who need to know in language which they can readily understand.

5.The City should be a helpful, accessible, consistent, unintimidating and human source of information; and those served should always feel welcome.

PURPOSE

This report places options before Council for a proposed public information strategy consisting of key message development, display, print, video and website material.

BACKGROUND

At its meeting of April 8, 1997, Council directed the Communications Division to report back with an accessible public information strategy to communicate the City’s role, policies, achievements and plans in the field of social housing.

DISCUSSION

Social housing initiatives support low-income families, seniors, people with disabilities and other special-needs groups.

The City has played a major role in the area of social housing. Its achievements include:

•One-third of Vancouver’s 18,000 social housing units are on City-owned land that is leased at below-market rates;

•Since 1988, Council has created a capacity for 2,700 social housing units by requiring major multi-unit residential housing projects to include 20 per cent social housing;

• The City directly operates 800 social housing units, many in the Downtown area;

•Retention and upgrading of Single-Room Occupancy (SRO) stock as well as development of replacement housing.

The City participates in social housing in a number of ways through its ability to:

•Guide development toward social goals such as an integration of market and social housing in new developments to achieve balanced communities;

•Buy and lease land, thereby supporting senior government funding programs;

•Coordinate and facilitate the work of agencies with interests in social housing;

•Provide direct grants.

Council’s commitment to social housing is based on the notion that a society without affordable housing for its most vulnerable citizens would be a much poorer society for everyone.

The partnership of governments, private interests, social agencies and community groups is the key to providing social housing. No single partner can afford the high costs of creating housing that, by its very nature, cannot provide a market return.

Residents of Vancouver who have participated in the CityPlan process have said they want a range of housing opportunities. These goals have become CityPlan Directions adopted by Council.

High growth, increasing land values and low rental vacancy rates have been continuing issues in Vancouver. As CityPlan public consultation now moves from the City as a whole into its various neighbourhoods, housing will be a significant issue. Integrating the housing needs of families, the elderly, people with disabilities and others who depend on social housing will increase the diversity needed for a balanced community.

Increasing densities will bring opportunities for social housing in areas of the City where it has not previously existed. As these communities discuss their futures, residents will want to have information about the history, variety, benefits, costs and other aspects of new forms of housing.

A program of public information is therefore required to clearly state the issues and actions with respect to social housing so that residents can make informed choices.

STRATEGY

The following public information strategy calls for the development of key messages about the City’s role, policies, achievements and plans for social housing. These messages will be fleshed out in an information program, proposed below, to be delivered by a consultant.

Information collected and presented will need to answer these questions:

•Why is the City a partner in the provision of social housing?

•Who lives in social housing, and why?

•What is the City of Vancouver doing in this field?

•Who are the key players and partners in creating and maintaining social housing?

The audience for this common base of information includes:

•Residents of Vancouver;

•Governments, agencies, non-profit societies and advocacy groups in the housing field;

•News media;

•Planning, architectural and academic communities.

Two options are proposed for Council's consideration:

Option 1

1.A series of Fact Sheets and a brochure that answer the key questions above. The material would contain contacts, resources, bibliography of City and other publications, videos, etc., for handout at meetings, mail-out to inquirers, and to accommodate media requests.

2.Website: Housing Centre staff have converted the 1996 publication Vancouver Non-Market Housing Inventory 1953-1995 into a series of clickable maps for the City website (http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca). The maps, with accompanying text and photographs, provide a detailed overview of the location and configuration of all 18,000 social housing units in the City. This is the first of a number of documents to be put on the website.

3.An information display that can travel throughout the City to community meetings, open houses, libraries, community centres, firehalls and other locations. In words and graphics, the display would be a portable, highly accessible information centre. As with all material in the program, emphasis will be placed on the impact on the lives of people who are assisted by social housing measures.

COSTS
Writer/editor to prepare key messages for Fact sheets for layout by Housing Centre staff and edit these into a brochure for distribution to community agencies, library branches, community centres; and to work on the display.	$2,000
Brochure design and printing costs	$5,000
Display Design and materials cost	$3,000
Total	$10,000

This program would be reviewed in one year's time to determine ongoing funding.

Option 2

Option 1, supplemented by a 15-minute Video. This would be a visual record of facilities, interviews with residents, staff and Council. The video would be available to community groups, as an aid to staff presentations and for play on the community cable television channel. Additionally, a short segment of the pilot TV program city.vancouver (airing February through April of 1998 on the Rogers community channel) will deal with social housing issues, and may be suitable for inclusion in a video.

COSTS
Fact Sheet, brochure and display	$10,000
Video Production	$15,000
Total	$25,000

A goal is to create materials that can be updated at low cost by City staff at the conclusion of consultant involvement. In addition, all printed material generated by this program would be converted for the website. Video updating will require external resources.

CONCLUSION

The City plays a pivotal role in the coordination, facilitation and provision of social housing. The foregoing strategy will communicate with residents the importance of that role and the social needs that demand it, as well as the policies, plans and actions that support it.

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(c) 1997 City of Vancouver