OTTAWA – The city’s Community and Protective Services committee approved new funding policies to guide planned changes to the Community Funding Framework today (Feb. 20).

The changes are scheduled to take effect in January 2021.

The new policies would support the Community Funding Program, which funds non-profit groups that work with Ottawa’s most vulnerable residents to gain equitable access to basic needs and services.

• Eligible organizations could apply for three funding streams:
• The sustainability fund would offer five-year operational funding for community non-profit groups
• The community fund would offer three-year funding to build capacity among non-profits to respond to unmet and emerging community needs
• The emerging and emergency needs fund would offer short-term funding to help organizations address emergency community needs or unforeseen organizational needs

In December, the federal and provincial governments allocated $4.38 million to the city under the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit. The committee delegated authority to the director of Housing Services to sign an agreement with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and to identify program priority groups to receive the benefit over the next two years.

This housing benefit would provide funding directly to vulnerable households, including survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, and people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, to help them pay housing rental costs.