Manitoba Housing rents to be capped

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This article was published 09/06/2011 (5565 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Selinger government says it will cap rents at Manitoba Housing complexes.

The plan was part of a raft of announcements Thursday at the downtown office of Opportunities for Employment.

Family Services Minister Gord Mackintosh says the measures will assist low-income families.

“We are introducing measures to help more Manitobans get off welfare by ensuring that work pays and supports are available,” he said.

Among the 14 measures announced:

– $112 000 annually to provide families receiving the Manitoba Child Benefit with assistance to pay for children’s eyeglasses.

– $2.3 million was announced for municipalities to prevent increases on public transit fares.

– $274 500 this year and $499 000 in future years for the Opportunities for Employment program to assist transitions from welfare to the workplace.

– $2.4 million over four years to help foster kids obtain training, employment and housing.

– A new rent-cap program for tenants of Manitoba Housing which will set an upper limit on rental rates.

The new measures form a part of the province’s ALL Aboard poverty-reduction strategy, which was introduced in May 2009.