City approves Street Cleaning Grants to support low-barrier jobs and cleaner streets
Vancouver City Council has approved $2.64 million in funding for the City’s 2024 Street Cleaning Grant program. For over 24 years, this program has played a major role in keeping Vancouver clean by supplementing work done by City crews, and providing meaningful, low-barrier job opportunities for people who need them the most.
“The Street Cleaning Grant Program plays an important part in keeping our streets and lanes safer and cleaner,” says Mayor Ken Sim. “More important, the grants help fund crucial life skills training and jobs for youth and adults with employment barriers. We are proud to support this program and look forward to working with all grant recipients in 2024.”
Micro-cleaning is a core component of the Street Cleaning Grant Program and involves daily collection of litter and needles on foot using brooms, shovels and wheeled carts. This work differs from and complements street cleaning work done by City crews, which is focused on emptying waste bins and collecting litter using sweepers, flushers, and other vehicles.
The 2024 Street Cleaning Grant Program will provide grants to the following seven organizations:
- United We Can - Save Our Living Environment ($469,100)
- Coast Mental Health Foundation – Employment Services Program ($745,250)
- Mission Possible Compassionate Ministries Society – MP Maintenance ($1,211,900)
- Family Services of Greater Vancouver – Street Youth Job Action ($73,100)
- The Kettle Friendship Society - SEED Employment Program ($48,800)
- MakeWay Charitable Society – The Binners’ Project ($55,000)
- Battered Women’s Support Services Association ($36,000)
The Street Cleaning Grant Program is an excellent example of social sustainability in action and is part of the City’s broader commitment to keep Vancouver clean, safe and litter free. Participants benefit from a greater sense of pride and self-esteem developed through employment that makes a positive contribution to their own community.
Impacts of the 2023 grants
The 2023 street cleaning grant funding had the following impacts:
- Micro-cleaning in an area covering 7 km2 within 22 BIAs
- Micro-cleaning of 25 permanent and pop-up plazas and 18 parklets
- 72,300 work hours to individuals with barriers to traditional employment
- 35,400 bags of litter and 100,100 needles collected
- 19,900 cumulative feces removals in the downtown area
Change to multi-year approval
Historically, street cleaning grants are approved annually by Council. To improve program efficiency and provide funding stability to our partner organizations, their programs and the clientele they support, street cleaning grant funding has now shifted to a three-year award cycle. Council has approved the above grants for each organization for a period of three years, subject to annual budget approval and each recipient’s ability to meet grant requirements.
Find out more about the Street Cleaning Grant Program
We encourage all residents to do their part to reduce waste and dispose of their garbage responsibly and consider participating in the City's community-based litter cleanup programs. Learn more about Neighbourhood Cleanup Programs.