Feds putting $12.7 M towards three affordable housing projects in Winnipeg

The West Central Women's Resource Centre is pictured in a file image. Photo courtesy of www.wcwrc.ca

The federal government is rolling out the next phase of rapid housing funding in Winnipeg, which will bring affordable housing to the city for Indigenous people, women escaping domestic violence, and at-risk LGBTQ2S+ people.

On Monday, Ahmed Hussen, the federal minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, said the federal government is putting $12.7 million to create 59 new affordable homes in Winnipeg through the Rapid Housing Initiative.

This is the second phase of the federal funding to come to Winnipeg. The federal government, through the Rapid Housing Initiative, put $12.5 million towards the creation of 77 housing units in October 2020.

"As governments, we all know that we have a lot more work to do to end homelessness, but in a country as wealthy as Canada, it can be done," said Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman during a virtual news conference on Monday.

"Today's announcement is a very positive step to that end."

The projects to receive funding under this latest round of federal funding include converting an existing building at 670 Main Street into 22 residential units for Indigenous people to be run by the Manitoba Metis Federation.

Will Goodon, the Manitoba Metis Federation minister of housing and property management, said the building will provide transitional housing for people experiencing homelessness.

"This means it will provide people with housing first, and then we will provide them with wraparound services," he said.

The West Central Women's Resource Centre will operate the second project, which will see an existing building rehabilitated into 16 homes for women, gender-diverse people, and children escaping domestic violence.

"Winnipeg has some of the highest rates of intimate partner violence in the country," said Lorie English, the executive director of the West Central Women's Resource Centre.

She said even before the pandemic hit, finding safe and affordable transitional housing has been a challenge.

"This new housing will offer safe, supportive, and culturally apartments for women and gender diverse people can live for up to two years, giving them the time they need to stabilize and secure long-term housing with the support of our housing team," she said.

English added rent will be based on income, so people "will not have to choose between paying rent or buying groceries."

The third project will see 21 new homes for LGBTQ2+ Canadians at 545 Broadway Avenue, to be operated by the Westminster Housing Society.

"This is Westminster's biggest project yet," said Mary Agnes Welch, chair of the Westminster Housing Society.

She said about 15 of the units will be for people living on a low income, the remaining units will be for people living with a disability.

"Most of these tenants, if we are doing our job right at Westminster, will be with us for the long haul," she said, adding on average tenants stay for about six years.

"Pretty much all of them will be LGBTQ2S+ folks, particularly older folks, who are at (a) really high risk of homelessness and struggle to find really comfortable, safe, high quality, deeply affordable housing."

She said the project will work with the Rainbow Resource Centre to provide supports for tenants.

The initiative requires the units to be built within 12 months.