LGBTTQ+ housing gets provincial boost

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This article was published 10/07/2023 (833 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Affordable housing geared to LGBTTQ+ seniors in West Broadway is a step closer.

On Monday, the provincial government officially announced its support for a $20-million subsidized housing and queer-inclusive community space spearheaded by the Rainbow Resource Centre and Westminster Housing Society.

The province will contribute $3 million to the Place of Pride campus, which is under construction at 545 Broadway.

Seven of the 21 planned subsidized apartments will be dedicated to LGBTTQ+ seniors who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

“We know that homelessness is very complex, with people experiencing issues of trauma, poverty, discrimination, mental health and addiction,” said Families Minister Rochelle Squires.

She said the dedication of housing units to LGBTTQ+ seniors “not only provides affordable housing to this steadily growing population, but will also support their physical and mental health with a safe, inclusive, supportive and community focused living space.”

The federal government and the City of Winnipeg initially put in $5 million to get the project off the ground. The Place of Pride project has been planned as Canada’s first LGBTTQ+ housing hub and is meant to be affordable for people living on social assistance.

The affordable housing units are expected to be completed next spring as the next phases of construction on the campus get underway. The complex is expected to include arts and programming space as well as commercial space.

“It’s a $20-million project that is just as much about celebration and community building as it is about tackling homelessness and poverty that we all see in Winnipeg today,” said Mary Agnes Welch, chair of the Westminster Housing Society.

Matthew Cutler, chair of Rainbow Resource Centre’s board, said housing is the first step in inclusion. On one hand, he said, the local LGBTTQ+ community still needs inclusive spaces where everyone feels safe.

“On the other hand, we’re facing a crisis of housing, affordability and social supports that puts the social fabric of our city and province at risk. Folks need to feel welcome in communities they live in, but that means, foundationally, they need safe, welcoming homes,” he said.

katie.may@winnipegfreepress.com