SECTION 5: Factors that Make Community Infrastructure Effective
A. The clusters of community infrastructure are most effective when there is a resilient social safety net, situated in inclusive social policies that provide the basic necessities (such as food and emergency shelter).
Unfortunately, in the current context, the services, facilities and networks of social support that comprise community infrastructure are increasingly expected to make up the gap created by the erosion or absence of social policies such as an adequate income security system and a vibrant program of social and affordable housing.
Community infrastructure optimally works with and complements dynamic social policies rather than replaces them. It is important to note that community infrastructure continues to be essential to strengthen neighbourhoods even when inclusive social policies are in place. In this scenario, community infrastructure organizations would be in a position to emphasize their preventive, asset-building and civic engagement strategies within their work, thereby enhancing the capacity of the community to determine its own fate. ( Author. case study interviews with DPNC, TCS)
B. The challenge of securing sufficient, predictable and flexible funding is central to the effectiveness of community infrastructure.
In the literature and in the case studies, the need for funding that works to enable community infrastructure to meet community needs is paramount.
Funding needs to be sufficient, particularly to enable the sector to attract and retain talented and skilled staff. Funding also needs to cover both capital and operational needs.
For new and emerging communities as well as for under-served communities, there need to be capital funds that will support the establishment and sustaining of the community foundation services.
Neighbourhoods need libraries, community/neighbourhood centres and schools – the community anchors - that provide the holistic view of the community and are responsive to community needs.
Funding also needs to be flexible enough to enable community infrastructure to prevent or respond to emerging needs in the neighbourhood.
The other clusters of services and networks also require financial support in order to leverage the strength of other community assets including volunteers, students and donations in-kind from local businesses, service clubs and individuals. Senior governments will need to work closely with municipal governments, foundations, the United Way and individuals to ensure that these necessary financial resources are available to achieve effective community infrastructure. (Howarth 2003, Toronto Community & Neighbourhood Services 2003)
Ultimately, everyone has a stake in community infrastructure and can contribute by supporting public expenditures and through donations of time, money and services in kind. At the operational level, the responsibilities for community infrastructure have traditionally been shared between federal, provincial and municipal governments and the non-governmental/community sector, as well as the United Way and foundations and, to a lesser extent, some private sector actors.
Each participant in this process has etched out a pattern of involvement that differs from the others in terms of responsibilities, commitment and direct involvement with the citizens of each neighbourhood.
In recent years, as governments have devolved responsibilities for some services to individuals, users are increasingly expected to pay for the cost of services. This trend, particularly in child care and recreation, makes accessibility a growing concern.
C. Effective community infrastructure requires suitable, secure physical plant and outdoor space in neighbourhoods across the city to foster the development of inclusive communities .
As the Task Force on Access to Space reported, the clusters of activities and services that help to define Toronto's vibrant neighbourhoods are in jeopardy as traditional meeting places in schools, libraries and other public buildings become unaffordable.
The strong tradition of volunteer-led community initiatives like Scouts and Girl Guide activities, after-school homework clubs, and recreation programs for youth and seniors is being undermined by the lack of accessible, affordable community space.
Two factors, the budget pressures on school boards as a result of the provincial education funding formula and the fiscal pressures on the City of Toronto, have resulted in increased fees for community use of public spaces and the closing of some spaces for community use after school.
A 2002 joint City of Toronto and United Way survey of community use of public facilities indicated that community use of schools had declined by 43 percent since 2000 and community use of city-owned buildings declined by 15 percent during the same period. In addition, 69 percent of agencies using school space and 41 percent of agencies using city space have experienced an increase in costs.
While commercial office space may be suitable for some programs, the cost is usually far beyond the resources of even the better-funded community infrastructure organizations. (Di Emanuele, Evans & Levy 2002). Tropicana Community Services has experienced this problem as it has had to move its summer camp each year for the past three years because of the lack of affordable and suitable space.
D. Effective, sustained and explicit involvement of the community (groups and individuals) is needed at all levels of community infrastructure organizations
A formal approach of structuring partnerships has been shown to be effective.
This participatory approach is evident in the Neighbourhood Renewal Program in the U.K.. In the long run, effective community infrastructure needs to build on the informal and formal social networks in order to achieve the “buy in” of all sectors of the community.
The Regent Park Revitalization Plan with its Residents’ Council that is involved in decision-making and its twelve-year time frame provides an impressive model centred around building a healthy community through innovative housing redevelopment and inclusive community infrastructure.
E. Effective community infrastructure has the capacity to document and assess its successesand shortcomings.
Community infrastructure organizations need to contribute to the design of the evaluation measures to ensure that the information is beneficial in program planning as well as for external purposes.
There also needs to be a reasonable balance between the emphasis on data collection and the resources that are required to accomplish the task.
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