The sale of a Winnipeg hotel has residents concerned about finding affordable housing

The sale of The Windsor Hotel in Winnipeg has some housing advocates concerned. They say residents have not been made a priority, putting them at risk and potentially forcing them onto the street.

“The pressure for low-income people is extreme right now and it’s a human rights crisis in Winnipeg,” said Kate Sjoberg, head of the Main Street Project and director of community initiatives.

But the owner of the hotel claims no one is getting evicted immediately. Tenants have been given until the end of April to leave.

Sjoberg was told by tenants, they were given just seven days notice by the owners to leave, which is prohibited under the Residential Tenancies Branch.

She said “that we’re most interested in is No. 1: Making sure that no one goes homeless. But No. 2, that people’s rights are respected.”

Sjoberg says it appears messaging around when people have to leave has been changing, another issue with privately-owned affordable housing.

“It speaks to the power dynamic. When folks are living in privately-owned spaces and just kind of the whims that you’re subject too with that lack of power.”

She says with the city is facing an overall shortage of public housing and a rapid eviction from the hotel is putting people at risk.

“If people become unsheltered at this point in time, we are in a cold snap, it is deadly outside.”

George Wayne Towns owns the hotel and claims no one is currently being evicted.

“Nobody is being kicked out. They have three months to move out. We have encouraged them to leave slowly, so they do not all have to leave at the same time.”

Towns says they’re asking tenants to move out in a staggered fashion to not overload local supports and services.

Wanda Ross, who has lived at the building for three years, says she was told she had some time to vacate and says bad information is circulating.

“They’re not evicting anybody, they’re just asking us to be out by the end of April. They’re not giving the proper information, which is making the hotel look bad. It already looks bad on its own, they don’t need the help.”

Ross says she’s confident she’ll be able to find a new place to live in the time given, saying to her, the hotel has been home.

Towns wouldn’t disclose who the building was sold to, saying the reasoning behind the sale is because it’s time for him to retire.

Sjoberg stresses the Main Street Project is working closely with tenants at the building to support them in bringing concerns or complaints to the Residential Tenancies Branch and to find new housing as a result of the sale saying those who feel they have been treated unfairly in this situation should come forward.