City team will identify and respond to unsafe buildings in Winnipeg

The aftermath of a fire on Magnus Avenue on June 26, 2024. (Joseph Bernacki/CTV News Winnipeg)

A pilot project to help identify and respond to unsafe buildings in Winnipeg is close to getting underway.

The Unsafe Conditions Response Team will run for six months with workers from the city’s enforcement services unit, according to the property and development committee agenda.

“There is a marked increase in unsafe and derelict properties across the City of Winnipeg,” the report reads. “Properties in states of disrepair, neglect, or unsafe conditions are hazards to the immediate community, to first responders, and need to be addressed in a more timely manner.”

The team would focus on reducing the time a property remains in a state of disrepair or unsafe following referrals. The goal would be to engage property owners in two business days.

The team will focus on post-fire rubble remains, deteriorating structures on properties, and structures built without permits.

One concern listed is that resources assigned to the project would need to be pulled back for other, competing priorities from the department.

A report on their progress will be released in April 2025.

Recovering the cost of firefighting efforts at derelict buildings has been a focus at city hall in recent years. The city passed a bylaw to bill property owners for the cost of firefighting.

The proposal will be talked about at the next committee meeting on Dec. 2.