YEAR-OVER-YEAR BUDGET CHANGES
Explanation of Changes: Revenue
There is minimal change, with expected revenue increases totaling $0.6 million due to a realignment of budget to reflect government funding as revenue instead of as an offset to expenditures.
Explanation of Changes: Expenses
2014 expenses increased by $2.3 million primarily as a result of a $1.3 million increase in Cultural Services and Social Policy grants, $0.5 million in investment in Social Housing and Healthy City initiatives, and $0.4 million due to realignment of gross revenue and expenses offset by $0.6 million in productivity savings.
In addition, the Community Services budget contains retroactive wage increases related to collective agreements concluded in 2013.
NOTABLE CAPITAL PROJECTS
The following table summarizes some of the noteworthy projects that the Community Services Department is involved in or will commence in 2014. A complete list of all capital projects for 2014 is included in The appendices to the Council Report.
Facility Improvements – 162 West 1st Avenue
This grant enables two non-profit organizations, Arts Club and Bard on the Beach, to build cultural amenity space and operate a new collaborative theatre hub that includes a 250-seat theatre, rehearsal spaces, costume and prop production centre, and offices. It will also facilitate vibrant community programming and services that will be shared with the broader community, offering a rare opportunity to transform Vancouver’s theatre infrastructure.
Public Art – Centennial Totem Pole Restoration
A comprehensive restoration of the totem pole will address its extensive deterioration as well as replace the large wooden hat that was removed in 2009 due to safety concerns. The restoration is an opportunity to work closely with First Nations and other stakeholders to mentor and train youth in conservation, and provides an avenue to celebrate the Year of Reconciliation with a significant project that will have lasting effects on relationships between across Vancouver’s diverse multicultural populations.
New Non-market Rental Housing
Of the funding for new non-market rental housing, $8.1 million is for the acquisition of East Fraser Land option sites. The remainder is for new non-market rental housing stock as properties become available or as
opportunities arise to move the dial on Housing and Homelessness targets. The above amount does not include
$14.5 million for the reconstruction of Taylor Manor that was approved in 2012 and 2013 capital budgets.
External funding of $11.4 million has now been secured for this project expected to complete in 2014.
BUDGET TREND TABLE
The following table summarizes the year-to-year budget figures from 2010 to 2013 and the 2014 proposed budget.
EMPLOYEE TREND TABLES
DEPARTMENT SERVICE METRICS
Social Policy
Nine plans, including the umbrella Healthy City Strategy, were either in development or implemented in 2013.
Planning for social amenities continues to create new childcare spaces, while implementing the Vancouver Food Strategy has increased food assets such as community garden plots, neighbourhood food networks, and farmers' markets. High levels of engagement are reflected in the number of participants engaged in all plans and related project activities. The $1 million increase in social granting dollars provided by Council helped provide over $8 million in social grants that continue to leverage about five dollars for every dollar invested.
The number of childcare spaces opened each year is dependent of a variety of factors including funding, timing of developments and occupancy permits and other opportunities. Although there is a slight drop in the number of spaces opened in 2013 over 2012, there is an overall cumulative increase in spaces enabled by the City over the last five years.
Social Development - Housing Policy
Street homelessness in Vancouver continues to be stable but with a slight drop in 2013 that is in large part due to an additional 257 supportive housing units having opened in the same year as part of the partnership with BC Housing, Streetohome, and Vancouver Costal Health. With an additional 52 supportive housing units committed in 2013, the City is 86% of the way in meeting its 2014 target. And with 259 units of social housing committed by the year's end, the City is two-thirds of the way towards its 2014 target.
In terms of market housing targets, the City has seen a continued surge of interest in the delivery of secured market rental housing—with over 200 new units opening in 2013 and more than 900 units committed. The City has surpassed the 2014 target and is over halfway to meeting its ten-year target. There has also been a significant amount of activity for secondary suites and laneway housing, so the City is forecasting that by the end of 2013 it will have met its 2014 target.
Progress on Housing and Homelessness
The following table shows the City’s progress towards meeting its targets for units of supportive and social housing provided by 2014 and by 2020.
Units are included if they are committed (e.g. the projects have an approved rezoning or development permit application or an approved Council report confirming funding), under construction or completed.
The City is on track to achieve our 2014 targets for social and supportive housing units, with 86% of our 2014 supportive target achieved and 63% of our 2014 Social Housing target.
Social Development - Housing Operations
Housing Operations provides housing in City-owned or operated social housing for low-income and/or
individuals or families facing multiple barriers. Support is provided to assist residents with access health and/or other community assistance programs. While the numbers of units have remained stable over the past three years, there are increases in vacancy rates as tenants prepare for the move to Kingsway Continental, which is projected to open in early 2014. Turnover rates have declined slightly in 2012 from 2011 and reflect the current norm in terms of people moving between SRO housing options, into long term care for seniors, or into rentals with self-contained units.
Since 1999, the Carnegie Outreach Team has patrolled the streets and back lanes of the DTES, providing housing, income and health supports, and carrying harm reduction supplies as a way to connect with homeless and addicted residents. In 2012 there were 108 hours of service provided per week, with 507 individuals housed and 80% of them remaining housed at the end of one year. The next section on Social Supports discusses the various kinds of outreach and supports that the City provides to vulnerable people in the community that connects to the metrics here on the number of people housed and remaining in housing.
Social Supports Operations
Support is provided to the City’s most marginalized citizens through Carnegie Community Centre, Gathering Place Community Centre, and Evelyne Saller Community Centre. These centres provide a range of services including food and nutrition, health, education, access to community supports, and cultural and recreational activities. Meals served have remained constant over time with a one-year increase during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Since the centres are nearing the capacity of the facilities for food production, showers, and laundry usage, these targets are unlikely to change significantly in the next few years.
Cultural Services
The grant support to cultural organizations has been sustained by the City following several years (2005-2007) of increases to the Cultural Grants budget base. Minor increases to the Theatre Rental Grant as well as the Operating and Project Grant budget projected for 2014 reflect a 2% inflationary increase. The major focus from 2013 to 2016 will be in supporting the arts and cultural community through capacity building and aiding in the creation of healthy sustainable organizations. Information, assistance, services, and tools will also be provided to cultural organizations through ways not fully captured in these metrics. Almost all of the funds that were allocated previously to the Playhouse Theatre Company have been reallocated to other arts organizations for usage of the Playhouse and the Orpheum Annex. In 2013 we saw almost a 50% increase in the number of arts organizations receiving rental grant funding for usage of the Vancouver Playhouse.
Business Licencing
Business licences have continued to grow at a steady but moderate pace over the past four years, reflecting a steadily growing economy. The percentage of business licences that are renewed online continues to increase, indicating that business owners are getting more comfortable using online services. A further increase is expected in 2014 due to the expanded online service offerings combined with the continued inconvenience of mail-in, and in-person visits.
Animal Control
Dog licencing is growing at a rate of about 6% to 7% per year, however, the number remains a lower rate than other cities. Initiatives to licence the majority of dogs in the City will improve safety and revenue from dog licence fees will increase the recovery of operating costs related to Animal Control.
The rate of online dog licence applications and renewals is approximately 70%, almost double the rate in 2009.
The number of tickets issued by Animal Control is down in 2013 over the previous two years since Animal Control Officer availability is reduced due to increasing public animal-related calls (eg. stray, aggressive dogs), and higher-than-normal staff turnover. The number of dog bites reported remains fairly consistent year over year.
Property Inspections and Enforcement
Overall, our transformation of inspections is designed to reduce the number of low risk inspections and focus our efforts on more complex areas – a risk based approach. Permit inspection volumes have dropped 5% over 2012-2013 which reflects this change. Work to standardize and streamline the processes and checklists for the inspection of single-family home construction will also increase our productivity and ultimately will result in better performance by builders and reduce the number of inspections needed.
In the area of property use enforcement, the City is developing an integrated approach that involves a team of multidisciplinary inspectors, who focus on assisting the public in understanding and complying with bylaws related to safety and livability. Over time this approach is expected to increase the public awareness and decrease the number of inspections required for enforcement. The online Rental Property data base is also helpful in driving a more proactive and informed approach by property owners and contractors.
Mountain View Cemetery
The cemetery continued to see incremental growth in the annual number of interments over the last five years.