Title
Resolution Defining Priorities for the Human Services Partnership
Staff
Reviewed by: Derek Delacourt, Community Services Area Administrator
Marti Praschan, CFO
Mariah Walton, Deputy City Administrator
Body
Whereas, Washtenaw County, the City of Ann Arbor and the Washtenaw Urban County created the New Human Services Partnership to replace Washtenaw Coordinated Funding that ended in 2021;
Whereas, The New Human Services Partnership is funded by Washtenaw County general funds, City of Ann Arbor general funds, Washtenaw Urban County CDBG and CDBG-CV funds;
Whereas, NHSP has targeted poverty, racism and trauma through three funding rounds: High Impact, Safety Net, and Mini Grants;
Whereas, Beginning in 2022, Safety Net Grants and High Impact Grants, have provided multi-year support for 17 organizations, and the Mini Grant program has provided annual one year grants to up to 10 organizations per year throughout the County;
Whereas, The U of M Program Evaluation Group works with all grantees around data collection, outcome creation and regular reporting on data, metrics and evaluations, which has helped ensure the success of the program;
Whereas, The Ann Arbor City Council approved distributing funding based on its previous budgeted allocation of $1,207,529.00 annually for all three funding rounds of the NHSP;
Whereas, The City is the only municipality contributing to the Human Services Partnership with General Fund dollars;
Whereas, The City and County are at a point to consider renewal of the program when grant funding round end in 2028; and
Whereas, It is an appropriate time for City Council to define target impact areas for this program;
RESOLVED, The City Council directs the City Administrator to provide an inventory of City social services spending, including spending in collaboration with the County and Urban County;
RESOLVED The City Council Directs the Administrator, in collaboration with the Office of Community and Economic Development, and Director of the Ann Arbor Housing Commission, to provide geographic areas to target for City social services and to prioritize for future human services funding;
RESOLVED, The City Council requests that at least four organizations in future Human Services Partnership mini-grant rounds are based in, or have a service provision hub within the City of Ann Arbor; and
RESOLVED, The City Council directs the City Administrator to work with City Council appointees to the Human Services Partnership leadership team to define funding priorities for the Human Services Partnership including but not limited to:
1. Services for unhoused individuals and those exiting homelessness
2. Supportive services in the Downtown
3. Programs designed to increase exits to housing through Permanent Supportive Housing
4. Programs that are especially accessible to residents of affordable housing sites/low-income neighborhoods in the City of Ann Arbor
5. Services for low-income/minority youth
6. Services for Justice Impacted Individuals
Sponsored by: Councilmembers Watson, Briggs, and Harrison