Funds are flowing to homeless shelters
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/11/2023 (1063 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A funding promise made months ago to a Brandon shelter by Manitoba’s former Provincial Conservative government is being kept by the governing NDP, Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith confirmed on Thursday.
The Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation (BNRC) is receiving $350,000 for the Blue Door Drop-in Centre for daytime shelter operations.
Additionally, in Swan River, $450,000 is allocated for a new drop-in centre, which will be open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and will be the first provincially funded service in the region for people who are experiencing homelessness.
Both communities are sharing $2.6 million with four other shelters in the province to operate as 24-7 “service hubs” during the winter months. The one-year pilot project began in October and will end March 31, 2024.
The provincial funding and pilot program were previously announced by the former Progressive Conservative government in July.
On Thursday, Smith said offering daytime drop-in options is vital to ensure fewer Manitobans suffer from exposure to extreme weather conditions.
“This is exactly why we’re seeing Manitobans seeking shelter in bus shelters, under bridges, in the entrances of businesses. We know that it’s not right, we know that we can do better and that we must do better. It’s a human right. Our government is committed to working collaboratively, we are committed to working with front-line organizations, with businesses, with our municipal and federal partners to address homelessness,” Smith said during the live online news conference from Winnipeg.
Brandon’s Blue Door is operated by Ask Auntie and funded through the BNRC and the federal government. Before October, it was open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and is now open 24-7.
The other provincial shelters receiving funds include two in Winnipeg, receiving $600,000 each: the Siloam Mission and Main Street Project.
Thompson’s Keewatinowi Okimakanak is receiving $350,000 for daytime operation, and Oscar’s Place in The Pas is slated for $250,000.
Smith told The Sun that “funds are flowing to the shelters” for the services that people need from the organizations.
“These front-line organizations are not just providing a safe place, but making sure that they have access to if they want to get into treatment, or they need to get into housing or they need to get into primary care. Whatever it is that they need, those funds are flowing to those shelters to get those supports.”
» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com
» X: @enviromichele