Gillingham vows to fast-track affordable housing

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This article was published 29/06/2022 (1251 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mayoral candidate Scott Gillingham has proposed a streamlined pre-approval process for city-owned properties to hasten the construction of affordable housing.

“The answer to homelessness is not to push homeless camps from one park to another and expect that homeless people will just find their way. It’s to bring people who need help into secure places where they can safely access help,” Gillingham said Wednesday.

Under Gillingham’s initiative, the city would pre-approve zoning, waive permit costs and property taxes and provide the land for six new builds, with a total of 270 units by the end of 2023. The sites would consist of pre-existing city properties or land acquired for this purpose, he said.

Each unit would measure 350 square feet and use modular construction, a process in which a structure is created off-site and assembled at a different location.

The city would provide the property, while the federal government would shoulder construction costs through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.’s rapid housing initiative, he said.

Other Canadian cities such as Vancouver and Toronto use a similar approach, Gillingham said.

Ottawa launched the program in October 2020. So far, it has dedicated $2.5 billion to housing for vulnerable Canadians. Government data shows the fund has financed 466 units in Manitoba and more than 10,000 across the country.

The 2022 federal budget includes a proposal to expand the program by $1.5 billion in 2023.

If Winnipeg can pre-approve and prepare properties for development, it will be ready when applications open, Gillingham said.

“Speed is critical to break the cycle of our homeless challenge in this city,” Gillingham said. “This is the hard work of getting things prepared.”

Gillingham said most projects finish within a year of approval.

Once completed, the city would turn over ownership to non-profits and indigenous-led housing organizations that would operate them. Some might become permanent homes, while others could be transitional housing. Ultimately, the goal is to create opportunities for people to access social services from a fixed address, Gillingham said.

“(The city) can only do so much, so I believe that uniting… other levels of government and non-profit agencies behind partnerships and alliances is the best path for us,” Gillingham said. “We just have too many people in Winnipeg right now who are unsheltered… They need housing, and they need the wrap-around services.”

Gillingham, who represents St. James and is the former chairman of the city’s finance committee, made his announcement on the grounds of a vacant lot at 412 Alexander Ave. The property is an example of one the city might be willing to use in the project, he said.

The nearly 2000-sq.-foot property is among a dozen lots listed for sale on the City of Winnipeg website. Most are zoned for single- or double-family residential builds, meaning they would need to be re-zoned. The city is asking $42,000 for the Alexander site, making it one of the cheaper locations on the list.

The website also lists two properties reserved for purchase by non-profit organizations that specialize in affordable housing.

One of those, a 2.2-acre lot in the Elmhurst neighbourhood, is listed at $875,000.

If Gillingham becomes mayor in the Oct. 26 election, he would need council approval for the project.

Wednesday’s announcement marked the second time Gillingham has addressed homelessness during his campaign. On June 1, he promised to expand the city’s 24/7 safe space grant, which provides $250,000 in funding to Ka Ni Kanichihk’s Velma’s House and WE24, both of which are in the West End.

Gillingham promised to create additional safe spaces in the North End.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca