City of Surrey's 2023 Annual Financial Report

CITY OF SURREY OVERVIEWS COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT

The Community Services Department collaborates with our partners across the City of Surrey to provide comprehensive, responsive programs and services that ensure connection, inclusion, and equity for our diverse communities.

COMMUNITY SAFETY Community Safety collaborates with community partners to collectively prevent and reduce crime, build safe communities, and promote collaborative community support. Examples include the Surrey Anti-Gang Family Empowerment (SAFE) Program, the Children and Youth At-Risk Table (CHART), the Surrey Mobilization and Resiliency Table (SMART), the Surrey Youth Resiliency Program (SYRP), and the Empower Surrey Parent Workshop community engagement initiative. HOUSING AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Housing and Social Development facilitates the development of supportive and affordable non-market housing, prepares housing and homelessness plans, policies and regulations that address the needs of low income and other vulnerable households. In response to current and emerging social issues, Housing and Social Development partners with government, non-profit and other key stakeholders to understand, advocate and seek solutions. Current areas of focus include urban Indigenous peoples, poverty reduction, vulnerable women and girls, and homelessness.

STRATEGIC PLANNING AND RESPONSES Strategic Planning and Responses leads strategic planning, development and implementation of pilot projects, plans and strategies. This division supports the development of the Community Services department, by developing and managing key strategic initiatives and engaging with internal and external partners and community members in program development.

2023 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Facilitated the development of six supportive housing facilities, providing 313 units/beds • Supported the Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee by administering funding grants and agreements on their behalf, with key focus areas of housing and homelessness, and community engagement • Convened an inter-departmental staff process to create a shared definition of equity to address inequities in policies, programs and initiatives • In partnership with the Surrey Poverty Reduction Coalition, secured a UBCM grant to develop a toolkit and pilot pop-up clinics to address the barriers faced by people with disabilities in accessing disability benefits • Initiated the process of developing a Social Action Plan and a Homelessness Prevention and Response Plan

• Surpassed 13,000 visits to the SAFE Centre across more than 1,100 separate community safety enhancing functions hosted since May 2019 • Coordinated 15 Empower Surrey Parent Workshops to assist Surrey caregivers in identifying and addressing early warning signs for youth gang involvement • Coordinated a two-part Indigenous antiracism training for SYRP partners to promote service delivery alignment with truth and reconciliation principles • Implemented 10 initiatives to provide housing, hygiene, health and meal services to people experiencing homelessness and other vulnerabilities, including 60 supportive housing beds, 16 shelter beds, washroom,

• Completed the pilot phase the Street SMART team, a new model of outreach support that pairs Bylaw officers with Community Services Workers using a trauma-informed approach • Community Services Workers using a trauma-informed approach through daily patrols and daily drop-in services at City Centre Library • Provided enhanced services for women and children experiencing homelessness in Surrey and in partnership with five civic facilities, delivered enhanced respite services during extreme heat, cold and wildfire events • Coordinated the Trauma Sensitive Practice conference hosted at the Civic Hotel

shower, and laundry services and meal services for up to 75 per seating daily

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