We all pay for Canada’s housing failures
June 9, 2015 | Winnipeg Free Press
If you are reading this, you likely have a place to live that’s at least OK. But take a moment and think how you got wherever you call home today. Read more >
Important lessons in battle to eliminate homelessness to be learned from successes in other cities
June 2, 2015 | Winnipeg Sun
The irony is profound. A southern Alberta city Rudyard Kipling famously said had "all Hell for a basement," is on track to become Canada's first city to put a roof over the head of all its homeless.
In that, there's a lesson for the entire country in moving beyond the political paralysis that has characterized homelessness for a generation now, ever since Paul Martin's infamous 1995 federal budget slipped the moorings on all kinds of transfer payments and began an era of downloading onto the provinces, and their cities, more of the burden of social programs including affordable housing Read more >
Homeless need opportunity
June 2, 2015 | Winnipeg Sun
What the homeless population of Winnipeg needs, James Favel says, is simple.
"They need an opportunity," said Favel, one of the leaders in resurrecting the Bear Clan Patrol, the volunteer group that will walk the streets of the North End to help make them safer, while also assisting those who call those streets home. Read more >
Many homeless suffer from mental-health issues
June 2, 2015 | Winnipeg Sun
Becoming a "caring community" is just one necessary step the city needs to take to tackle homelessness, a local mental-health advocate says. Marion Cooper, the executive director of the Winnipeg region of the Canadian Mental Health Association, said residents would be well-served to learn more about the mental-health and addictions issues that afflict many in the homeless community. Read more >
The answer to homeless problem? Homes
June 1, 2015 | Winnipeg Sun
Gordon Walker says he’s learned not to give other cities advice on tackling their issues, but there’s little doubt many in North America have looked to his home state for some guidance. Read more >
NDP bolsters rent assist
May 22, 2015 | Winnipeg Free Press
The Selinger government rolls out its new, beefed-up version of its rent-assist benefit program today in a renewed bid to get more people off welfare and into jobs.
The measure was announced in the recent budget and will see the rent-assist shelter benefit hiked to 75 per cent of median market rents this year, at a cost of about $22 million, two years ahead of what the NDP government had scheduled.
Premier Greg Selinger said earlier this week the first phase of the increase will take effect in early July, with a second phase to come later in the year. Read more >
Social housing shortage needs urgent attention from all governments, municipalities say
May 19, 2015 |CBC
The country has a looming housing problem that is going to require action from all levels of government, according to a new report from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Read more >
Winnipeg Slow to add Secondary Suites
May 12, 2015 |Metro News
While the “Fonzie flat” might have looked like a cool place to live for kids watching TV in the seventies, Winnipeggers are saying “whoa” to the idea of adding apartments above their own garages. Read more >
Lord Selkirk Park rebuilds community
May 8, 2015 | Winnipeg Free Press
Homelessness has been in the news following the tragic slayings of three homeless people in Winnipeg. Last week, the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association's National Congress on Housing and Homelessness also met in Winnipeg to talk about housing strategies. Read more >
Manitoba students trade books for hammers to help Habitat for Humanity
May8, 2015 | Global
Almost 100 high school students are building walls, windows and door frames for housing charity Habitat for Humanity on Friday.
The students are participating in the High Schools for Habitat event to help the charity that builds safe, affordable housing for purchase by low-income working families.. Read more >
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