REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
FY 2017/18 General Fund Human Services Grant Funding Allocations
Report
BACKGROUND
In recent years, the recommended grant awards for human services funding (from federal sources and the City's General Fund) have been considered as part of the Report to Council (RTC) on the annual Action Plan, a planning document required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This year the recommendations regarding human services proposals for General Funds have been separated from with the Action Plan. This approach enables the City Council to consider the total amount of General Funds available, as part of the City Budget discussion, before making a decision on the grants themselves. The remaining step in the process and the subject of this report is to determine how that funding should be divided up amongst the funding proposals received.
For more than thirty years, the City has used General Funds to "supplement" the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds that were available to the City. The federal regulations allow a small portion (15%) of the CDBG funds to be used for public services, including human services that serve lower-income and vulnerable clientele; however, the City Council found merit in more proposals than could be funded through CDBG funds.
Over the years this practice of supplementing the available CDBG funds with General Funds has been refined and updated by Council several times, resulting in Council policies and directions to staff that guide the process as it exists today. A study issue was completed on this topic in 2008. On December 16, 2008 (RTC No. 08-372), the Council directed staff to include up to $100,000 for supplemental human services funding every year in the City's twenty-year Long Range Financial Plan. As is the case for other programs included in the long range financial plan, the amount serves as an estimate for planning purposes, may be changed from year to y...
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