Agencies praise new dose of housing funds

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This article was published 29/03/2023 (1283 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

New funding for housing services in Brandon has instilled hope among local advocates in the homelessness sector, although the city still lacks a desperately needed 24-hour shelter space.

While in Brandon on Tuesday, Families Minister Rochelle Squires pledged $1.15 million for various Westman organizations and programs as part of the province’s first-ever homelessness strategy that was launched last month, totalling $126 million.

“The initiatives that we’re announcing today run from short-term to long-term solutions that include investments in youth organizational capacity building, and targeted financial relief for those who are struggling,” Squires said.

New money will help youth transition as they age out of the child welfare system, while other funds will be directed to the rent relief program, which provides interest-free loans for rent, utilities and damage deposits. Yet another provincial program will expand its grant program for young adults, allowing for housing support.

Additional and direct funding is earmarked for the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation, Westman Immigrant Services, Samaritan House Ministries and the Community Health and Housing Association, which will see its annual funding increase from $25,000 to $185,000, something that is welcome news to assistant director Darcie Gervin.

“We’re going to have three full-time homeless outreach, mentor staff as boots on the ground out in the community,” Gervin said. “They’ll be helping connect vulnerable people and street-entrenched folks to those resources that can help them get to their next right step.”

Last month, the Manitoba government pledged to build 300 new affordable housing units with plans to add another 400 units to the rent supplement agreement, and a promise to introduce new wrap-around services for those experiencing homelessness.

Samaritan House Ministries will receive an increase of $330,000 a year to operate its Safe and Warm Shelter, which is open from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m.

But during the last two winters, it reached capacity several times, prompting staff to direct clients to Samaritan House’s overflow warming trailer.

There is no 24-hour homeless shelter in Brandon, and funding for the overflow area will run out in a few weeks, according to executive director Barb McNish, who remains hopeful something can be worked out.

“We have been using the [trailer] as a warming centre, and it will not be staying open past the middle of April. But I am on board to work with the province, the city and all agencies to find a 24-hour warming centre because our Safe and Warm Shelter is an emergency shelter,” said McNish.

Squires admitted her government has more work to do with ensuring Brandon has a round-the-clock homeless shelter.

“We know that there’s not a 24-7 space here in Brandon, and that’s certainly on our radar, and we will be doing a lot of that work in the very near future to ensure that there are options for 24-7 [services],” Squires said.

Community agencies across Manitoba will have access to extra funds from the bed bug grant program, which increased from $200,000 to $400,000 to support clients who are dealing with infestations and are forced to vacate their home during fumigation.

That’s something of great interest to Mayor Jeff Fawcett, who said during a recent community meeting there was a discussion about bed bugs and questions about how to deal with the situation when it arises.

“It was a quiet discussion with our community wellness collaborative about bed bugs, and the need for us to figure that out and do something to put systems in place, so this is good to hear. This isn’t glamorous, but it needs to be done,” Fawcett said.

As part of its overall strategy, the government is looking for people with lived experience in the homelessness sector including youth, women, and Indigenous people to join its community advisory committee.

The application process to join the committee will be made public later this spring.

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

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