Occupants of small home in Winnipeg neighbourhood worry eviction looming

A small home creating a big stir in a St. James neighbourhood is a snapshot of a much larger crisis in the community, according to a Winnipeg advocate for unsheltered people.

The building is located on a piece of property just south of the airport in between a park and a community garden.

It’s the kind of setting some may find peaceful and relaxing to live in but the occupants worry they’ll soon be forced out.

The tiny home is tucked in behind trees and the occupants said it’s been in the location for about a month after someone donated it.

It’s unclear exactly who or where the home came from or how it ended up in its present location but some area residents aren’t happy about it.

“And I’d like to see it gone, personally,” said Joseph Williamson, who lives nearby.

He said the home was brought in using a flatbed truck.

Scott Gillingham, the area’s city councillor who’s now running for mayor, said he’s been made aware of the issue and has asked city staff to get involved.

“We want to make sure that we’re not shuffling people from one location to another, that they get the help they need,” said Gillingham, who visited the site after residents contacted him. “But on the other hand, this is not an appropriate location for a home without permission to be dropped off and for someone to be living here.”

According to Gillingham, city staff have reached out to make sure the occupants can get access to both the city and social services they need and to get the home out of the location.

As for the people who live in the home, they didn’t want to appear on camera but one man who identified himself as one of two occupants told CTV News they’ve been living in it for about a month. He said he’s from Amaranth, Man. and has been recovering from a serious assault after someone hit him with a baseball bat. He used to have an apartment but not anymore.

Jason Whitford, president and CEO of End Homelessness Winnipeg, said the situation is another sign Winnipeg has a housing crisis.

“People are telling us what we need to do,” Whitford said, referring to where unsheltered people are finding places to live. “We need to create housing in different parts of the city.”

The home isn’t equipped with any electricity, running water or insulation.

Whitford said while it may not be perfect, if the residents are forced to leave, they could end up worse off.

He said if people have donations of permanent shelters for unhoused people, there needs to be a better way of harnessing that generosity in a more constructive way.

“We need to come up with various models,” Whitford said, noting similar homes are being used to address the housing crisis in First Nations communities.

“They need to be welcome in communities not looked at with judgement and with blame or even the feeling that they don’t belong.”

Winnipeg police were called about concerns in the area that individuals were illegally residing on someone’s property but the owner did not want any legal action taken.

As for the city, it said it can’t comment on inspections or enforcement due to privacy concerns.

Williamson doesn’t think the home is the answer to the housing crisis.

“There’s a lot of people walking around at night,” he said. “There’s been arguments, fights here at night.”

The man who lives in the home said not many people in the community have tried to get to know him.

He said he’s been visited by police, firefighters and social services staff who have reached out to help him but he fears it’ll only be a matter of time before he has to leave.

It remains unclear if or when that’ll happen.