The Community Development Division is requesting approval to accept a grant in the amount of $1,000 on behalf of the Mayor’s Committee on Homelessness awarded from the Spare Change for Real Change program administered by the Downtown Billings Association.   The Spare Change for Real Change Grant Committee awarded $1,000 towards the venue rental for the 2015 Billings Community Connect.  Billings Community Connect is facilitated annual by the Mayor’s Committee on Homelessness and local service providers.

The Mayor’s Committee on Homelessness was approved through resolution by the City Council on April 24, 2006.  Twenty members were appointed by the Mayor and the City Council and the Committee has been meeting since June 2006.  Welcome Home Billings, the City’s Ten-Year Plan to impact homelessness was adopted by the City Council in October, 2009. To date over 50 local organizations and 600 individuals have been collectively working on implementing the plan to impact homelessness through programs and / or initiatives supported by the Mayor’s Committee on Homelessness.  

The Community Development Division would administer the account on a pass-through basis.  As requested, funding will be utilized for venue rental for the next Billings Community Connect to be held January 2015.

Alternatives analyzed include either accepting the grant or not accepting the grant.  If unable to accept the grant, the Mayor’s Committee on Homelessness would not be able to receive funding to rent a venue for the 2015 Billings Community Connect.

The City is not required to match this grant.

Staff recommends that the City Council accept the $1,000 grant from Spare Change for Real Change on behalf of the Mayor’s Committee on Homelessness.