M E M O / N O T E D E S E R V I C E |
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M E M O / N O T E D E S E R V I C E |
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To /
Destinataire |
Chair and Members of the Community and Protective Services Committee /
Président et membres du Comité des services communautaires et de protection
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File/N° de
fichier: ACS2007-CPS-HOU-0002 |
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From /
Expéditeur |
Steve
Kanellakos Deputy City Manager, Community and Protective Services /
directeur municipal adjoint, Services communautaires et de protection
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Subject / Objet |
Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative (SCPI) – Update /
L'Initiative de partenariats en action communautaire (IPAC) – Mise à jour
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Date: 8 January 2007 / 8 janvier 2007 |
SUMMARY
At its meeting
of September 13, 2006 during its consideration of a report respecting
termination of Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative (SCPI) Funding
(ACS2006-CPS-DCM-0005) Council approved that: the City of Ottawa urgently
request the Federal Government to reconsider the premature termination of the
SCPI program; the Mayor of Ottawa meet with the Federal Minister of Housing on
an emergency basis to seek an extension of the SCPI program; a motion be
circulated to City of Ottawa area Members of Parliament, AMO, FCM, and AFMO;
and, a special Task Force be established with City staff, City representatives,
and all those groups affected and interested to develop and implement
strategies to ensure continuing SCPI funding beyond March 2007.
Following concentrated advocacy on the part of Members of Council, AMO, FCM, OMSSA, the Alliance to End Homelessness and the Housing Loss Prevention Network, as the lead for agencies currently funded by SCPI – the federal government announced seamless continuation of federal funding of SCPI for the next two years (March 2007 to March 2009).
The federal homelessness funding program – Supporting Community Partnership Initiatives (SCPI), under the National Homelessness Initiative – has provided funding to large communities in Canada since 2001. The funding is used to create residential units (shelters or housing) or to provide support services to individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Some of the funding has also been allocated for research for planning and training around issues of homelessness.
SCPI funding was to be discontinued on March 31, 2007. The anticipated termination of this federal funding was causing serious concern among service providers. Thousands of households would lose access to services to both find and maintain appropriate housing.
The anticipated end of SCPI funding in March 2007, gave rise to two focuses for strategizing: first, to advocate for ongoing sustained federal funding for homeless services; and, secondly, to develop contingency plans with agencies who provide service with this funding.
The City engaged
in advocacy for sustained federal funding for homeless services. The Mayor wrote a letter to the federal
Minister responsible for the program and Councillors worked with committees of
AMO and FCM to address this issue politically.
Meanwhile, City staff supported the work of the Alliance to End
Homelessness and the Housing Loss Prevention Network as the lead for all the
agencies that are currently funded by SCPI.
This included providing data on services and the impact of losing this
funding, especially the reduction of those services that help individuals and
families retain their housing. The
newly formed Leadership Table of the homelessness Community Capacity Building
initiative was preparing to take up the demand for federal funding as part of
the solution to homelessness. This
involves the Deputy City Manager for CPS and a vice-president at United Way
with several community leaders. City
staff also advocated for the continuation of this essential funding through the
Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) and the Federation of
Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
Finally, on December 21, 2006, the then Minister for Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), Diane Finley, announced that there would be a seamless continuation of federal funding for homelessness for the next two years. The Minister described it as similar to the current funding both in amount and mandate. However, the details are not yet available. The City will be negotiating an agreement with HRSDC over the next few months in order to access and allocate funding for additional homeless support services until March 2009.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The Housing Branch has identified a budget pressure of $1.9 million for the nine months of 2007 after the termination of SCPI for homeless support services provided by community agencies. This request will be reduced or eliminated depending on the allocation negotiated with HRSDC.
DISPOSITION
Housing Branch to negotiate details of the SCPI funding with its federal counterparts. Details of the final agreement will be provided to Council.
Original
signed by
Steve Kanellakos
c.c. Councillor Diane Deans, Chair of the Community and Protective Services Committee
Kent Kirkpatrick, City Manager
Russell Mawby, Director, Housing Branch
Connie Woloschuk, Manager of Residential and Support Services,
Housing Branch