City staff is recommending city council more than triple the amount of money it doled out in 2009 to community groups for programs related to this falls homeless action week.
A report going before council Tuesday shows the city provided $9,300 to four community groups in 2009 and now wants to increase that to $30,000 and spread it out to 11 organizations.
Each year, the grants have increased and so have the number of groups that have received funding. The number of homeless, however, has steadily increased since 2005.
Staff are recommending an increase in grant funding to $30,000 to ignite even more community passion to solve homelessness, reach out further than in previous years and engage an even greater number of participants, says the report authored by Abigail Bond, the citys assistant director of housing policy.
The report recommends the Union Gospel Mission receive a $2,000 grant for the creation of a walking tour of the Downtown Eastside available through an iPhone app or by trained tour guides.
Staff rejected the missions request for an additional $3,000 for a project titled, We are hereflags that connect us. The projects aim was to create small flags with the words we are here and hang them around Metro Vancouver. Other recommended recipients include:
- South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, which wants to create a resource guide of housing and homelessness services in the southeastern part of the city. Cost: $2,950.
- La Boussole wants to make brochures and give at least 10 presentations to Francophone and French immersion schools about the realities of homelessness in Vancouver. The organization plans to invite children and young people to help prepare, serve and share a meal with La Boussole clients. Cost: $2,950.
- Marpole-Oakridge Area Council Society will provide the homeless and those at risk of homelessness in the Marpole area with meals, clothing and services. Cost: $2,990.
- Downtown Eastside Womens Centre Association wants to organize and lead a series of dialogues culminating in a community event to share their stories, experiences and solutions to homelessness. Cost: $3,000.
- The Motivation, Power and Achievement (MPA) Society seeks to dispel myths of homelessness by getting West Side high school students together with clientsadult men and women who are or were homeless and diagnosed with a mental illnessin an art therapy project. Cost: $2,800.
The report comes as Bond and Dr. Michael Krausz, a professor of psychiatry, epidemiology and public health at the University of B.C., are scheduled to update council Tuesday on the latest homeless count taken in the city.
Homelessness increased by 314 people between March 2005 and March 2011, according to the Metro Vancouver homeless counts. But as the number of homeless has increased, the number of those people living on the street has decreased dramatically.
In 2011, 145 people were on the street, 1,362 were in shelters and another 98 were recorded in hospitals, jails, safe houses and other forms of shelter for a total of 1,605 people. Homeless action week, the seventh annual campaign that aims to raise awareness about people without homes, runs Oct. 7 to 13. Mayor Gregor Robertsons goal is to end street homelessness by 2015.
Twitter: @Howellings
