Latest news with #MainStreetProject
Winnipeg Free Press
18 hours ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Charity building second housing site in city
Housing advocates say the province needs more social-housing projects to address the homelessness crisis in Manitoba. Construction on a 23-unit apartment building at 480 Young St. was underway Wednesday. The aim is to house up to 40 homeless and at-risk individuals and families by the end of 2025. Ontario-based charity Raising the Roof bought the derelict property in November and began renovations in May. It's the second project the non-profit has undertaken in Winnipeg. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Leslie Bellingham, director of strategic partnerships and initiatives for Raising the Roof, said renovation projects such as the one on Young Street can play a significant role in addressing homelessness. 'I think we need social housing. We tend to lean to not-for-profit or public housing because it not only guarantees it now, but also in the future,' Jamil Mahmood, executive director of Main Street Project, said. The Spence-area apartment block was put into receivership in March 2023 after a significant fire in 2022. The building presented an opportunity for Raising the Roof to expand its housing projects outside Ontario. The building cost $1 million and, at the time of purchase, the organization expected the renovation to cost less than $5 million. Funding for the project came through donors and private partnerships. After renovations are finished, 24/7 on-site supports from Main Street Project will be available for tenants. Mahmood said the project is seeking public funding for operations and staff members at the complex. A provincial government spokesperson wouldn't confirm whether the province is in negotiations to provide operational funding, citing byelection blackout rules. Mahmood said any vacant or derelict building in Winnipeg should be eyed for projects such as this and that the province shouldn't rely on private landlords to increase the housing supply for homeless people. 'If there are private landlords offering, great, but I think there's a guarantee this (project) is going to last longer term and meet the needs if it's publicly or not-for-profit owned,' he said. 'It gives more stability for the longer-term housing we need.' Mahmood estimates the province needs 10,000 units of housing to meet the needs of the province's homeless population, including those living in encampments, in shelters or are at risk of becoming homeless. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press The building at 480 Young St. could house up to 40 homeless and at-risk individuals and families by the end of 2025. Data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation show the average vacancy rate for an apartment in Winnipeg in October 2024 was 1.7 per cent. Premier Wab Kinew said last month that when his government took office, it was constrained by the lack of housing units after the former government sold some of its housing stock. He said the province is in the process of building and restoring social-housing units and helping an estimated 700 Manitobans move from tents to homes as part of the government's Your Way Home strategy to end chronic homelessness. The province had moved 59 people from encampments to housing as of the end of July. Fifty-three have moved into social housing, and six live in private rentals. In May, the province announced 67 new social-housing units, all of which are occupied. Leslie Bellingham, director of strategic partnerships and initiatives for Raising the Roof, said renovation projects such as the one on Young Street can play a significant role in addressing homelessness. 'When you have buildings like this that can be renovated, it's efficient, and you'd be able to do this faster and easier,' she said. 'If we have the space available, then we can use it, and use it to its full potential.' The non-profit's other project, at a former nail salon at 573 Mountain Ave., was converted to a three-unit home and has been occupied ever since. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press The building cost $1 million and, at the time of purchase, Raising the Roof expected the renovation to cost less than $5 million. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. 'We were there earlier today and were speaking with one of the tenants, who just was telling us all of the impacts on her life and everything that she was able to do because of the project,' Bellingham said. 'That's definitely the kind of impact that we're trying to recreate here.' Mahmood is optimistic about 480 Young St. 'If it goes well, I think there's a good model,' he said. 'We need more housing in general, but if a not-for-profit can be identified as a service provider early on, and then a partner like Raise the Roof can do all the building work and capital work, then we don't have to develop those expertise.' Nicole BuffieMultimedia producer Nicole Buffie is a reporter for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College's Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom as a multimedia producer in 2023. Read more about Nicole. Every piece of reporting Nicole produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
27-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘An immediate need': City councillor pledges funds to encampment outreach
Mynarski Coun. Ross Eadie is prepared to exhaust his ward's community fund to support St. Boniface Street Links in addressing the growing encampment issue in North Point Douglas. Eadie's decision follows a letter from longtime North Point Douglas resident Howard Warren, who expressed deep frustration over what he described as the city's and province's failure to protect law-abiding citizens living near encampments. In his letter to Mayor Scott Gillingham and city council earlier this month, Warren detailed alarming encounters, including a home break-in and another incident in which someone pulled a gun on him. RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) said he intends to direct approximately $45,000 to $50,000 from the Mynarski Ward Community fund to the Street Links outreach group. In response, Eadie said he intends to direct an estimated $45,000 to $50,000 from the Mynarski Ward Community fund to a local outreach group. 'I am making the decision right here to use up the rest of the Mynarski Ward Community fund balance for (St. Boniface Street Links) to deal with encampments in the Mynarski Ward,' Eadie wrote as one of his three recommendations for action. 'I shouldn't have to, as other needs in my ward need this money, but my residents have spoken.' Beyond the funding, Eadie is also advocating for the creation of 24-7 neighbourhood action teams of police officers and paramedics. These teams, he said, would proactively monitor encampment areas and directly support residents. While he acknowledges that launching such teams would require significant investment, Eadie believes they would ultimately reduce costs by helping to lower the number of encampments. He views it as a necessary step while the province works toward its Your Way Home strategy, which aims to eliminate encampment living by 2031. 'The province and city have pumped a lot of dollars into downtown for the same purposes, and it's time we considered more than downtown as we face the same problems,' Eadie wrote. 'So, I call on my political colleagues at all levels to establish these teams until we get a better handle on encampments and assisting persons living outdoors in the city.' Only 59 of approximately 700 individuals living in encampments have been housed under the plan, the provincial government said last week. Eadie is also urging the city to explore the idea of sanctioned encampment spaces to prevent people from setting up in public parks and community gardens. He also voiced his support for a recent motion from Coun. Cindy Gilroy that calls for encampments to be banned from those areas. 'I ask other politicians not to judge my decision as I am merely serving my residents,' Eadie wrote. 'For Main Street Project, this type of action will make it easier for them to provide their supports to individuals living in encampments who do have rights and responsibilities.' Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. Speaking to the Free Press on Sunday, Eadie said he believes his constituents will support the reallocation of community funds toward encampment efforts. The money was initially earmarked for park renewal projects, but Eadie said he plans to use land dedication reserve funds to cover those instead. 'This is an immediate need,' he said. 'It's quite clear… there's problems all around and we need to deal with it, and actually a lot of the so-called survivor crime, like stealing metal and all kinds of stuff that happens to be a bit further north in the ward as well.' Marion Willis, head of St. Boniface Street Links, confirmed Sunday the organization is ready to focus on a project of Eadie's choosing should the funding come through. She said the group would likely need to secure an additional building to accommodate people living in encampments. Street Links lost its mobile outreach funding in late June after the city awarded a sole $275,000 contract to Main Street Project, the only outreach in the city that runs a 24-7 mobile outreach van. Scott BilleckReporter Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade's worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024. Read more about Scott. Every piece of reporting Scott produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
26-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Fifty-nine people moved out of tents and into homes
The province has moved 59 people from encampments to housing as it works on a strategy to find shelter for an estimated 700 Manitobans who live in encampments. 'They're taking pride and flourishing,' Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith said Friday of the people who have been housed. 'We want to make sure everyone gets the proper support and they're successful.' Since the government's strategy Your Way Home was announced in January, 53 of the 59 former tent residents have moved into social housing. Six live in private rentals, a spokesman for the minister said. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith said nicer weather draws more people to tent living, but the province is working with the city, the federal government, community partners and private landlords to 'get people into housing that's a more desirable place for them.' In March, the federal-provincial welfare top-up program to help those living in encampments afford market rents stopped accepting new applications. In May, the province announced 67 new social housing units, all of which are occupied, Smith said Friday. As expected, encampments have expanded during the summer, prompting neighbours and Winnipeg city councillors to express concern about health and safety concerns — for residents in and near the tent villages, and motorists who drive by them. 'This is what happens when you normalize this type of living in tent encampments' said Marion Willis, executive director of St. Boniface Street Links. 'In the past, people seeking resources looked for someone to house them. Now they're told 'come and join us,' she said Friday. 'We've normalized an incredible level of social dysfunction,' Willis said. On Friday, Coun. Ross Eadie, whose Mynarski ward is home to several encampments, released a letter he had written to Smith, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham and one of his constituents who's asked officials to address the 'crime' and 'chaos' from encampments. 'Your Way Home has the policy of providing 24/7 support for those getting out of encampments,' Eadie wrote. 'Well, we need 24/7 support for the residents living near encampments.' Smith said nicer weather draws more people to tent living, but the province is working with the city, the federal government, community partners and private landlords to 'get people into housing that's a more desirable place for them.' 'We are doing everything we can to bring as many units online as possible, and we believe the province is also working to bring every possible housing unit online as quickly as they can.'–Jamil Mahmood The head of Main Street Project, which received the only contract from the city to move people from tents to housing, said many more units are needed — and quickly. 'We are doing everything we can to bring as many units online as possible, and we believe the province is also working to bring every possible housing unit online as quickly as they can,' executive director Jamil Mahmood said in a statement Friday. Main Street Project hopes to have another 12 social housing units available in the next two weeks that can house 15 to 20 people from encampments, he said. 'The social housing being brought online has all the supports needed for people to be successful,' Mahmood said. The non-profit organization is concerned about those in private rentals relying on rent top-ups becoming at risk for homelessness again, he said. 'The rent top-up highlights how the private sector cannot fill this gap, and the need for more funded social housing is key to addressing this housing crisis,' Mahmood said. Two years ago while campaigning to become premier, Wab Kinew said it was not 'realistic' to rely on social housing alone to end chronic homelessness — that the province needs to work with the private sector and landlords to move people out of bus shelters and tents into housing. 'The premier was right on the mark,' said Willis with Street Links, which relies on private rental units to move their clients from tents to apartments. Even without the federal-provincial rent subsidy, Street Links has housed 28 people so far this month in private rentals, she said. On Friday, they were in the process of housing a couple — a pregnant woman and her partner — who had been living in a tent in the West End. They had been receiving food and water from outreach workers who suggested they get on the social housing wait list. 'It's more efficient to work with people in a housed situation than an unhoused situation,' said Willis. Low-barrier housing with some stability and security is better than no housing, she said BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES Encampments have expanded during the summer, prompting neighbours and Winnipeg city councillors to express concern about health and safety concerns — for residents in and near the tent villages, and motorists who drive by them. 'You're in a house that has heat, with a toilet and fridge and stove,' she said. 'A terrible place to live is a dirty encampment on the riverbank.' On Thursday, Kinew said that when his government took office, it was constrained by the lack of housing units after the former government sold some of its housing stock. He said they're in the process of building and restoring social housing units and helping those estimated 700 Manitobans move from tents to homes. 'We're working hard,' said Kinew, who credited city and non-profit partners for working together. 'We're all on the same page,' he said. 'It's just going to take years of consistent effort to get to that 700 number. When we first committed to this, we said it would take eight years. We're two years in. If we maintain this pace, I think we'll get to where we need to go,' the premier said. — with files from the Brandon Sun Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Mayes tries to address ‘battle' over homeless outreach turf
Coun. Brian Mayes says the city should 'encourage' St. Boniface Street Links and Main Street Project to start a dialogue with the city on how best to co-ordinate their work on the homeless problem. 'It's just so unfortunate that we've got some money (to tackle this), we want to reduce encampments and here we are with this battle over who should be doing the work,' said Mayes. The St. Vital councillor raised a motion at Thursday's city council meeting that calls for talks between the municipal government and two key homeless outreach providers, to ensure they help as many vulnerable people as possible and avoid overlapping their services. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Coun. Brian Mayes would like to see St. Boniface Street Links and Main Street Project work with the city on how best to co-ordinate their work on the homeless problem. In June, the City of Winnipeg awarded Main Street Project a $275,000 contract for mobile outreach services, with a focus on moving people out of encampments and into housing, as part of the provincial Your Way Home strategy. That made MSP the city's main outreach provider, about six weeks after the agency was accused of re-establishing a homeless encampment near the riverbank in Point Douglas. End Homelessness Winnipeg later told the Free Press that action was taken to move someone out of one encampment due to a safety concern, when other housing wasn't available. Mayes said MSP and Street Links have different approaches but both services are needed. He said co-ordination is key to ensure Main Street isn't sent by the city to support the same encampments the public reports to Street Links. 'How do we deal (with that)? Are we going to have two separate groups showing up and arguing?' he asked. Street Links recently said it will continue operating through donations in its initial zone east of the Red River, regardless of not getting the latest city grant, Mayes noted. 'If that's really the case, we can probably get a lot more bang for our buck through Main Street Project. If they (don't) have to cover as big of an area, if they (would just cover) west of the Red,' he said. Marion Willis, the executive director of St. Boniface Street Links, said her organization has a great success rate, housing 22 people in July alone. Rather than start new discussions, Willis would prefer the city give Street Links jurisdiction to keep handling outreach in its current area. 'The motion that I would look for … (would be one) that protects, by city council resolution, our ability to be the service provider for all of eastern Winnipeg,' she said. Willis said overlap has already occurred between the two organizations, as both tried to help one individual in a south Winnipeg encampment within the past week. 'There's a clash all along the Red on our side where people are being told they can stay where they are. Our approach is not going to be to support people to live in encampments. That's never going to be the case for us,' she said. Mayor Scott Gillingham said he believes outreach providers are already in dialogue, so calling for further talks would be redundant. 'All of those front-line agencies (have been) at the table and they are at the table on a regular basis,' said Gillingham. The mayor noted the city still provides some funding to Street Links, stressing he sees the need for both groups. 'There is, unfortunately, so much work to do when it comes to addressing homelessness right now and meeting the needs of unsheltered individuals,' he said. This year's city budget included $250,000 for Street Links 24/7 safe space and $59,375 for its mobile outreach service up to the end of June. The budget also included three funding pockets for Main Street Project, including: $86,400 for its Main Stay program; $178,126 for its mobile outreach (up to the end of June) and $275,000 for mobile outreach during the last six months of the year. Main Street Project did not grant an interview request on Thursday. In an email, the organization said it is working with all groups that provide outreach service to homeless people. 'We host a bi-weekly outreach meeting, and all outreach teams are invited to participate in those co-ordination meetings and use the Signal app for real-time communication between outreach providers. That will always remain open to all groups doing outreach,' wrote Jamil Mahmood, MSP's executive director, in the statement. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. Mahmood added his organization encourages more unity among groups and governments to address homelessness. 'We are always willing to work with and co-ordinate with all the amazing teams doing such important work for our city,' he wrote. Council's executive policy committee will consider the matter in September. X: @joyanne_pursaga Joyanne PursagaReporter Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne. Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Irony holding Winnipeg back
Opinion In the July 2 Free Press (City awards sole outreach contract to Main Street Project), Marion Willis rightly expresses outrage that Street Links was 'frozen out' of a city contract to provide mobile outreach services. The contract went in a competitive bid process to the Main Street Project. The irony is that the City of Winnipeg has non-profits competing with each other (and at $275,000, a paltry amount of money compared to what it spends on responding to people who are homeless). To make a serious run at addressing homelessness, rather than having non-profits compete with each other, the city should set up process to see non-profits competing with costs the city is incurring. I'm not talking about privatizing city services which would result in private companies delivering services now offered in the public system (firefighters and paramedics, for example). I'm talking about reducing pressure on city services by inviting all non-profits to be paid when they get a job done. In this case it would be successfully housing someone who would otherwise be homeless. The city could go further and pay them for every month that person stays housed and does not return to interacting with municipally funded emergency services. This way we can get more non-profits attacking the problem rather than cutting the number by two-thirds, which is what the city is doing. Yes, this is very different from how governments engage non-profits now, but given the state of the city when it comes to homelessness, I would argue that the only thing that will work is different. I live in St. Boniface. I can testify that Street Links does an amazing job getting people into housing. They treat our unhoused sisters and brothers with kindness and respect to get them transitioned into housing, then proudly clean up the site for all Winnipeggers to enjoy. Main Street Project is also doing amazing work across the city. We need as many non-profits as possible working flat out. Actually addressing homelessness offers huge financial benefits to the city. But having non-profits competing with each other is like taking a squirt gun to a forest fire. With such a major homelessness problem, and so much money being spent ramping up paramedic, firefighting and policing services, wouldn't it make more sense to deploy all our options to address homelessness? The city's approach results in capacity to respond sitting idle. Meanwhile our downtown struggles, police response times are unacceptable and our tax dollars are not being spent effectively. Now some will argue that this sounds like 'mission drift.' They will say that the city should leave addressing homelessness to the province. To them I offer two thoughts. The first is that the city is already deep into our coffers responding to predictable and repeating crises. Winnipeg spends a higher percentage of its budget on emergency services than almost any other city in Canada. I'm not suggesting the city spend more. I'm suggesting the city spends less. The second argument is that yes, the province is also guilty of keeping non-profits under-resourced when it comes to addressing homelessness. Just look at justice and health expenditures over the last decade or two. Our courts and emergency wards are overwhelmed responding to folks who are homeless. These departments too have nonprofits competing with each other for paltry resources. Manitoba Justice could be paying non-profits for their success at cutting court appearances and nights in jail. Manitoba Health can cut wait times in emergency wards by paying non-profits for their success at preventing visits. This is what effective government looks like. Imagine the progress we would see with the city working with Manitoba Health and Manitoba Justice to partner with nonprofits in this modern way. Instead of non-profits lamenting being frozen out, they'd be busy doing what they do best — housing people and keeping them there. Shaun Loney is the author of An Army of Problem Solvers. He was awarded EY Entrepreneur of the Year for his career in the social enterprise sector. He ran for mayor of Winnipeg in 2022.
