Manitoba announces $5.7M plan for up to 250 rental units to help homeless people this winter

The Manitoba governmentsays it is investing $5.7 million into a new strategy to prevent homelessness over the winter.

Phase 1 of the initiative involves a $2.8-million investment to provide up to 250 rental units that will offer support services, including mental health and addictions programs, Housing and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith said at a news conference Friday.

About 128 are publicly owned Manitoba Housing apartments, which will be available to move into immediately, and the hope is to have more available in coming weeks, Smith said.

Another32 will be available in the near future, the province said.

The rest of the rental units are non-profit homes and private rentals with government rent supplements.

"The need is going to determine the final number" of rental units made available, Smith said.

The units will be in Winnipeg, Brandon, Swan River and Portage la Prairie. The province is talking to municipal officials about their needs.

Homelessness is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach in order to provide long-lasting solutions, Smith said, and this announcement is part of the province's strategy to end chronic homelessness over the next eight years.

"Already, we have seen two of our relatives succumb to the elements," she said, referring to two people found dead in a tent at a Point Douglas park on Monday.

Smith is co-chairing acollaborative action circle that's planning the initiative.Carol McCorrister, who leads the Southern Chiefs' Organization's mobile crisis response team, is the other co-chair.

Hope to reduce need

The action circle also includes representatives from Indigenous organizations, the homeless-serving sector and women's organizations from across Manitoba, including End Homelessness Winnipeg, Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centreand Mount Carmel Clinic.

"They see the gaps in services and they know what's needed. They've been informing our government," Smith said.

The new NDP government has been working with those organizationssince they tookoffice, she said, and the plan announced Friday stems from their recommendations.

"The idea is to have maybe not as big of a winter response next year, because we've had some success with this group."

In Phase 2 ofthe program, $2.9-million funding will be provided in the new year for housing programs specific to women and the LGBTQ community.

End Homelessness Winnipeg's 2022 street census found that over 30 per cent of the city's homeless people are women, about 10 per cent are LGBTQ peopleand 22 per cent are youth.

"I think what people don't know is the hidden homelessness that's out there. Many women are in unsafe situations," Jason Whitford, CEO of End Homelessness Winnipeg, said at the news conference.

The two people found dead in Point Douglas on Monday "underscore the level of urgency" ofaddressing homelessness in the province, he said.

Smith said investing insocial housing is part of the solution.

"We're working on maintaining, fixing upand investing in the current social housing we have," Smith said.

Manitoba government making homelessness a priority

10 months ago

Duration 2:08

The province says it's making homelessness a priority. On Friday, Housing Minister Bernadette Smith announced a $5.7M plan to help get unhoused people into housing. In the first phase there will be 250 rental units made available for people in Winnipeg, Brandon, Swan River and Portage La Prairie.