Winnipeg, feds agree to fast-track hundreds of housing units

On Wednesday, the Government of Canada and the City of Winnipeg announced they had come to an agreement to fast-track over 3,100 hundred housing units over the next three years.

“We are going to use these investments to try to spark a renaissance of home building across this city,” said Scott Gillingham, Mayor of Winnipeg.

The agreement under the Housing Accelerator Fund, will provide $122 million to help address the need for housing in the city, prioritizing the construction of multi-family homes and those near transit routes.

The end goal will see the construction of more than 15,000 homes over the next decade.

“This marks the largest contribution that the federal government has made directly to the city of Winnipeg for housing programs in our city.  This $122 million will allow us to launch a number of initiatives that all share the same goal…ensuring more and more Winnipeggers have a home they can afford,” said Gillingham.

The funding will also allow for the creation of a city concierge for affordable housing, an offer that will work towards streamlining the process.

“We need more housing units, and there are a lot of non-profit organizations that are going to build those housing units, they need support from the city of Winnipeg,” said Gillingham.

“So by providing them with a concierge office, that will help them navigate the complexities of permit processes and development processes which will enable them to get their housing units built faster and to get more people off the street sooner with wraparound supports.”

Jason Whitford of End Homelessness Winnipeg calls Thursday‘s announcement a step in the right direction but does hope that more funding will be directed to affordable housing projects, as currently just over 28 per cent of the first 3,100 hundred units are slated for low-income use.

“We are very hopeful, and optimistic that these will be deeply affordable, at least half that are rent geared to income or some sort of social housing, we need housing across the spectrum,” said Whitford.

“We were hoping for at least 50 per cent, I know the ask was not at the level that the City of Winnipeg was provided but I am hopeful that more funding will become available either from the provincial, federal, or business community to help offset some of those shortfalls.”