Expert wants to see government invest in low-barrier rental housing
Posted January 12, 2023 5:56 pm.
A leading Winnipeg urban planning expert wants to see government invest in low-barrier rental housing. She says problematic landlords taking advantage of vulnerable people is creating an unsafe environment for both the tenants and surrounding neighbourhoods.
“It creates danger for everyone living in the community,” said Shauna MacKinnon, department chair of Urban and Inner-City studies at the University of Winnipeg.
“We’re allowing it to happen because there is no other option. So really, I mean there’s no other solution, but for governments to get back in the business of providing housing for people in need.”
She says when bad landlords are allowed to operate, it has a ripple effect.
“It really does point to the problem, the bigger problem around public policy, we’ve created an environment that is allowing this type of behaviour to flourish.”
In an ongoing series, CityNews has reported Living Recovery Foundation of Winnipeg’s buildings has seen at least five alleged homicides in the last 12 months. City Councillor Cindy Gilroy wants to see the organization shut down, and for the province to step in, as many of the tenants pay rent through provincial Employment Income Assistance.
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- Councillor calling for Living Recovery Foundation to be shut down following homicides
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MacKinnon says it’s the lack of affordable, low-barrier public housing, that’s putting people in desperate situations.
“Organizations are frantically looking for housing for people in desperate need, and there’s nothing available for them at the costs that’s needed. And that’s because we’ve really moved away from providing this social infrastructure for people — having accountability –because that is the other issue. You’ve got these unscrupulous landlords that are really taking advantage of government money, quite frankly,” explained MacKinnon.
Karin Harper Penner, the founding director of Living Recovery Foundation of Winnipeg, has declined multiple interview requests. However, she has denied the allegations of mismanagement, unsafe conditions and taking advantage of its tenants on the organization’s Facebook page.
A statement from the Government of Manitoba explains landlords must make sure rental units are in good repair and meet health, building, maintenance and occupancy standards.
If the health and safety of tenants are compromised, the provincial Health Protection Unit will investigate but non-life-threatening issues are a City-bylaw matter.
EIA provides shelter benefits to clients based on their living situations, but clients are empowered to choose where they live. The EIA program does not investigate landlords or get involved with clients’ choices of accommodation.
