Funding cuts leave inner-city community organizations in limbo, report says

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This article was published 12/12/2017 (2318 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Recent funding cuts from the provincial government have left inner-city community organizations upset and confused, according to a new report.

Funding for some organizations is on pause, while others continue to receive funding, but later than they expected despite the fact community-based organizations may be the cheapest way for the government to offer community services to Manitobans, says the State of the Inner City report released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

“Community-based organizations create value by delivering services and achieving outcomes for a fraction of what it would cost for the government to do on its own,” the report states.

Since organizations have less money in the bank, they are forced to either lay staff off or take out a line of credit to make up for lost dollars.

Executive directors of those organizations, such as Lorie English at the West Central Women’s Resource Centre, are calling on the provincial government to honour the multi-year agreements that have already been signed. Her organization’s agreement is slated to last until 2020, but she is unsure of whether it will extend beyond 2018.

“We are well into the fourth quarter and we have no confirmation of whether our multi-year agreement will be renewed into the next fiscal year,” she said.

“It would be great if the province could come forward and say, ‘Yes, those agreements are going to be honoured till the end.'”

The lack of information has led English to consider if she’ll need to issue lay-off notices and nix certain programs in the next fiscal year, or simply leave things to chance and hope she gets funding.

Continued funding will be based on whether the provincial government thinks the organization is of good value to the community, which has raised concerns because the government and organizations define value differently.

The government is focusing on the economic value of the organizations, while English and many others are urging it to consider the social value produced, which is much more important to them.

“It is hard to measure the impact in a concrete number of what our programs offer to women,” said English

The West Central Women’s Centre provides a long list of services, including employment-skills training and a food-security program that provides meals every day to women in need.

Around 100 women, including those who are homeless or have limited income, use their services daily, English said.

“We’re only seeing those numbers rise. We’re hitting capacity in our centre almost every day,” she said.

“Women tell us that them accessing our services has saved their lives. How can you put a dollar figure on that?”

This time last year, English was in the same situation funding wise, but there was at least communication with the government, she said. This year she’s just left scratching her head.

“This year, we haven’t even begun conversations about whether that funding will be extended beyond March 31.”

Report author, Ellen Smirl, a researcher with CCPA, echoed English’s concerns and added the report is meant to address the extreme uncertainty under which these organizations are operating.

“They just don’t know what is happening to funding,” said Smirl. “They’re just sitting in limbo.”

“If you don’t know if the money is coming in, it’s difficult to then plan, or budget for that program.”

Kiera.Kowalski@freepress.mb.ca