Ottawa pledges funds for housing repairs, rural transit

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/11/2023 (713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Almost $350,000 in federal funding is on its way to Westman to help pay for structural repairs to a Brandon building that has emergency shelters and affordable apartments, and to the communities of Carberry and Ste. Rose for the purchase of accessibility vehicles.

The funding is from a federal strategy called Reaching Home, which provides support to prevent and reduce homelessness across Canada and was announced Tuesday in Brandon by Chris Bittle, parliamentary secretary to the minister of housing, infrastructure and communities.

Of the total amount, $96,954 will pay to fix the water damage in the building at 1202 Rosser Ave., which has 26 affordable apartments and three self-contained emergency shelter units, Bittle said.

“This is repair, which is fundamentally important,” Bittle told the Sun. “Because unfortunately, as we’re building a lot more housing, we’re seeing a lot of affordable housing fall off the market, often because of disrepair. So, that’s a fundamental challenge, something that we as a government have focused on for the last six years. But we need to stay ahead of that, because we can’t lose the units that we already have.”

The building at 1202 Rosser Ave., originally known as the “Bell Block,” was built in 1893. It is now simply called “1202,” said Stephanie Lockerby, the executive director of the non-profit Community Health and Housing Association (CHHA).

CHHA provides many services to vulnerable individuals including housing, emergency housing, withdrawal support services, and sober living.

There are security cameras placed outside the emergency shelter units at 1202, so staff can monitor “everything that comes in and out” and most of the apartments are one bedroom. They are offered to people whose yearly income is below $56,694 in a household without children and $75,592 in a household with children or dependants.

“We had water damage because of a wall leak that was allowing water into the building,” Lockerby said. “There was a structural crack and the foundation needed support. It was pretty significant.”

“When we recognized that we had this crack, it was a ‘what are we going to do’ moment, and when we realized the Reaching Home dollars were being presented, we applied for it, and we are so thankful that we were awarded,” Lockerby said.

CHHA applied for the funding through the city’s Community Advisory Board (CAB) which has many roles including prioritizing emergency and transitional housing.

The administrator of CAB funding is the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation (BNRC).

For Rushana Newman, BNRC’s executive director, repairing affordable housing units will significantly help to prevent homelessness and ensure shelter stability.

“We need this. We know that our city needs affordable housing, because we have so many homeless people on the streets. Our Safe and Warm Shelter only has 41 beds, and they can’t accommodate everyone who needs a place to stay. So, we certainly do need affordable housing,” Newman told the Sun.

Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett was part of the federal funding announcement, made in the atrium at City Hall.

“This is good news,” said Fawcett. “Anytime we are able to get these buildings kept up bodes well, because it keeps that housing in place.”

Improving transit services for Carberry and Ste. Rose were also part of the federal funding announcement made by Bittle while in Brandon.

“We’re investing over $250,000 from the Rural Transit Solutions Fund to support the purchase of accessible vehicles in different communities in Manitoba,” Bittle said.

The Ste. Rose and District Handi-Van organization will receive funding to buy a new accessible vehicle for public transit, so that area residents, seniors, and persons with disabilities can get around the community and take trips to cities like Brandon and Winnipeg.

Carberry’s funding will buy a new handivan to be be used for the town and the Municipality of North Cypress – Langford, said Ray Muirhead, the town’s mayor.

“Public transit is very beneficial and crucial to the mobility-impaired as well as several other community members who use it for shopping, medical appointments, excursions, et cetera. It helps to maintain an independent lifestyle with the assistance that this vehicle will provide,” Muirhead said in a news release.

There was no update on a $7.2-million application that the City of Brandon made to the federal government in the summer through the housing accelerator fund, which is part of the national housing strategy.

When asked about the application process for Brandon, Bittle told the Sun to “standby,” adding that Ottawa had already made announcements for cities like Calgary, Hamilton, and Halifax, and have more large municipalities announcements to come.

Cities have to meet certain requirements under the plan, and the Wheat City might be required to make some changes to zoning rules, parking requirements for new builds and other related items.

“There’s a finite amount of money, so those who come to us who are the most ambitious will be the ones who receive the funding, and we’re ready to work with all municipalities,” Bittle said.

Bittle said he defined ambitious as getting the highest number of houses built.

Through the Reaching Home strategy, the federal government is investing nearly $4 billion over nine years, with goals that include reducing chronic homelessness by 50 per cent by 2027-28.

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

» X: @enviromichele