The Manitoba government has unveiled Your Way Home: Manitoba’s Plan to End Chronic Homelessness , a strategy to ending chronic homelessness in Manitoba, and created a new premier’s senior advisor on ending chronic homelessness to oversee this work.
“No one should be chronically homeless in a country as rich as Canada,” said Kinew. “Encampments aren’t safe for the people living there and they’re not safe for the families, seniors and businesses nearby. Our plan will move people out of tents and into warm, safe, secure housing with wraparound supports to help make sure they stay housed.”
“Since our government was elected, we have been working hard to end chronic homelessness in Manitoba,” said Smith. “After housing more than 1,200 Manitobans last year, we’re moving forward in our plan. With more than 300 new units of social housing being added by our government and working with our partner organizations, people experiencing homelessness will have wraparound supports, including mental health and addiction supports, so they can transition into a new home, creating a safer community for all Manitobans.”
The co-ordination of the new strategy will be led by Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud, the premier’s new senior advisor on ending chronic homelessness. Whitecloud has worked in the homeless-serving sector since 2013, previously as the executive director for 1JustCity and for the last three years, the CEO of Siloam Mission. She holds a master’s degree from Carleton University in Ottawa in political economy and previously taught sociology at the University of Winnipeg. With a One Manitoba approach, the province will be the sole lead and co-ordinator, streamlining the efforts of non-profit organizations, Indigenous nations and municipalities, said the premier.
Working with the City of Winnipeg on a 30-day timeline beginning in February, the new strategy will see the government move one encampment at a time into housing including 300 new social units that have been purchased and will be supported by non-profit organizations, added Kinew. Wraparound support and funding will also be provided including flexible funding for people who are experiencing incidental homelessness to help ensure a successful transition into housing.
“Your Way Home shows what’s possible when the province, the City of Winnipeg and community partners work together,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham, City of Winnipeg. “This plan, the result of many months of collaboration, will help move people into safe, secure housing while making public spaces welcoming and accessible for everyone.”
As part of the strategy, encampments will only be moved once move-in ready housing is secured for every person. The former encampment sites will be decommissioned and cleared by clean-up teams. The sites will be monitored by foot patrols to ensure the space remains cleared and can be used safely by all Manitobans.
This strategy builds on Budget 2024’s investment of over $116 million for the construction and upkeep of social and affordable housing. As part of this funding, the Manitoba government is building 350 new units of social and affordable housing, and renovating and repairing another 3,000 units.
The Your Way Home plan can be viewed at manitoba.ca.
