ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: June 2, 1998
Author/Local: J. Graves/7488

Dept. File No. 1671

CC File No. 2201

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Manager of the Housing Centre
SUBJECT:	One Time Grant to Fund a Consultant for the BC Non-Profit Housing Association

RECOMMENDATION

THAT Council approve a one time grant of $3,000 to the BC Non-Profit Housing Association to hire a consultant to determine the feasibility of a central waitlist for all Rent Geared to Income housing in the Lower Mainland, to be dispersed with the approval of the Manager of the Housing Centre. Source of funds is the Affordable Housing Fund. (Approval of the grant requires eight affirmative votes).

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

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

CITY POLICY

On May 8, 1989 Council established a demolition fee of $1,000 per unit to support housing information and relocation assistance services.

PURPOSE

This report seeks Council approval for a grant of $3,000 to the BC Non-Profit Housing Association to determine the feasibility of a central waitlist for Rent Geared to Income Housing.

BACKGROUND

Numerous non-profit agencies develop and manage non-market housing throughout the lower mainland.

Housing has been developed under a range of funding programs and under the direction of several levels of government. The not-for-profit housing system is complex, and sophisticated knowledge of the system is currently required to access it. Each sponsor maintains it own waitlist. Housing providers are impacted by costs and inefficiencies in managing their own waitlists.

According to Census data, up to 29% of Vancouver's population meets the core need criteria for subsidized housing. Many of the 29% do not have the skills needed to access the waitlists. The City's Tenant Assistance Program, School counsellors and other advocates spend hours filling out repetitive forms to help families find the housing they need. Families without adequate stable housing move as often as three and four times a year. With each move many housing providers must be updated individually.

Tenants searching for affordable housing are overwhelmed by the sophistication needed to understand the application process. With as many as 20 applications to complete, language of origin, lack of literacy and clerical ability can cause an unintended injustice in access to housing.

DISCUSSION

The BC Non-Profit Housing Association has proposed a study to explore and report back the potential viability of a central waitlist for the Lower Mainland. The total cost of the study would be $27,000.

The study is to be cost shared by the BC Housing Management Commission who have committed $10,000, GVRD who have committed $3,000, and the Real Estate Foundation who have committed $3,000. Several other organizations including Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Columbia Housing and Terra Housing as well as other lower mainland municipalities are being approached as funding partners.

A central waitlist which may serve as a model is in the second year of operation in Ottawa.

Participation in the study does not commit the City to financially or otherwise support the finished product.

The Director of Finance advises that there are sufficient funds in the Affordable Housing Fund. The Manager, Housing Centre recommends the use of the Affordable Housing Fund for this purpose. This is a grant request and requires eight affirmative votes for approval.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver