Canada Announces Support for Rapid Housing in Winnipeg

Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. The COVID-19 crisis has made it clear that affordable housing is key to Canada’s recovery as major cities across the country including Winnipeg are dealing with the devastating impacts of rising levels of homelessness and housing need.

Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the Honourable Heather Stefanson, Minister of Families, and Brian Bowman, the Mayor of Winnipeg, announced details of the $12.5 million Rapid Housing Initiative allocation for Winnipeg.

As part of its Investment Plan for the Major Cities Stream, the City of Winnipeg submitted 5 projects which will bring 88 new affordable housing units to the community. The projects will include a focus on people who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness, people dealing with mental health and addictions issues; women and children fleeing domestic violence, persons with disabilities and Indigenous people.

With the $1 billion RHI, the Government of Canada will support the construction of up to 3,000 permanent, new affordable housing units across Canada to help address urgent housing needs for Canadians, especially our most vulnerable.

Delivered by CMHC, under the National Housing Strategy (NHS), RHI provides the necessary capital contributions to develop new, permanent affordable housing by covering costs associated with modular multi-unit rental construction; conversion of non-residential to affordable multi-residential; and, rehabilitation of buildings in disrepair and/or abandoned to affordable multi-residential.

Quotes:

“Our Government is taking all the necessary steps to ensure that every Canadian has a safe and affordable place to call home. Our investments with our municipal partners like Winnipeg will go a long way to effectively support those who need it most by quickly providing new affordable housing units to vulnerable individuals and families. Our Government’s National Housing Strategy continues to provide housing for Canadians from coast to coast to coast, including right here in Winnipeg.”

“The National Housing Strategy continues to ensure more adequate and affordable housing for Canadians. This funding is part of our government’s commitment to affordable housing in our city and across the country. It will provide immediate support in the rapid creation of stable and affordable housing in Winnipeg, directed towards assisting the most vulnerable.”

“The Manitoba government is committed to providing affordable housing to vulnerable people across our province, and we are proud to partner with the federal government as part of the $450 million National Housing Strategy, with $225 million in provincial investments over 10 years. We welcome investments from the Rapid Housing Initiative in Winnipeg, and we will continue to work with the federal government to protect Manitobans experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable people as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic together.”

“Housing unsheltered Winnipeggers has been a focus of my advocacy to Prime Minister Trudeau, alongside my counterparts on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Big City Mayors’ Caucus. I want to thank the Prime Minister and his government for their support of this cause through the Rapid Housing Initiative, which will contribute to five impactful housing projects in Winnipeg. I also want to commend the recipients of this support as their projects will make a significant contribution to the availability of affordable housing units in Winnipeg.”

Quick facts:

• $1.5 million will go to Siloam Mission for a conversion that will create 20 units of supportive recovery housing for people who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness.
• $2.3 million will be going to the Salvation Army for the conversion of a building to create 20 affordable transitional housing units for women who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness.
• $4.3 million will go to the Winnipeg Housing Rehabilitation Corporation to build 18 affordable modular apartments for women and their children, including Indigenous women, who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness.
• $1.5 million will go to New Directions for the conversion of a building that will create 9 new supported housing units for people with developmental disabilities.
• $2.8 million will go to Shawenim Abinoojii Inc. for the conversion of buildings that will create 21 supportive housing units for Indigenous youths who’ve been involved in the Child and Family Services system.
• Under the Major Cities Stream of funding, $500 million is allocated to pre-identified municipalities with the highest levels of renters in severe housing need and people experiencing homelessness. Municipalities can flow funds through a third-party (including a provincial or territorial government).
• Under the Projects Stream of funding, $500 million in application-based projects from provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous governing bodies and organizations, and non-profit organizations. Applications will be accepted until December 31, 2020.
• RHI takes a human rights-based approach to housing, serving people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and others who are among the most vulnerable, including: women and children fleeing domestic violence, seniors, young adults, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, people dealing with mental health and addiction issues, veterans, LGBTQ2+, racialized groups, Black Canadians, and recent immigrants or refugees.
• The National Housing Strategy is an ambitious 10-year, $55+ billion plan that is giving more Canadians across the country a place to call home, creating 125,000 new housing units and reducing housing need for 530,000 households, as well as repair and renew more than 300,000 housing units.
• The 2020 Fall Economic Statement proposes to increase the lending capacity of the existing National Housing Strategy’s Rental Construction Financing Initiative by an additional $12 billion over seven years. This new funding will enable CMHC to support the construction of an additional 28,500 purpose-built rental housing units across Canada.

Associated links:

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
• Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
• Rapid Housing Initiative
• National Housing Strategy

As Canada’s authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC’s aim is that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford, and that meets their needs. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Media contacts:

Jessica Eritou
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
jessica.eritou@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Audrey-Anne Coulombe
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Media Relations
613-748-2573
acoulomb@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

City of Winnipeg
Media Inquiry Line
204-986-6000
city-mediainquiry@winnipeg.ca