One homeless encampment cleared, problems elsewhere in focus

As one homeless encampment in Fort Rouge was cleared and its nine residents moved into supportive housing in the last week, concerns were raised in the legislature about another camp near the University of Manitoba.

The nine people who were relocated last weekend are among the 30 people who’ve been helped by the province’s strategy to address chronic homelessness, which was launched by Premier Wab Kinew in January.

But Fort Garry MLA Mark Wasyliw took the government to task during question period Wednesday, suggesting the initiative is falling short.

Wasyliw, a frequent critic of the premier who sits as an independent after being ousted from the NDP caucus, said needles, shopping carts and other debris, have been found across the street from houses in the University Heights area. Residents of that camp have also started fires.

“It’s clear this premier is not in a position to house people in the encampment any time soon,” he said.

Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith responded with word about the weekend’s events.

“We just cleaned up an encampment,” she said as she tabled before-and-after photos of the Fort Rouge Park site.

“I want thank service delivery organizations — Main Street Project, Sunshine House — who helped those individuals get housing and wraparound supports,” she said. “We’ll continue to do that work on behalf of Manitobans who sent us here to do that.”

In February, Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud, who is leading the province’s strategy, announced the program’s first encampment resident had been moved into an appropriate living situation. Last month, the province reported another 11 people had moved out of five encampments in downtown Winnipeg into stable housing.

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On Thursday, the provincial government reported that 30 people have been housed from eight encampments that have been fully cleaned up, “while another eight encampments are in the cleanup process.”

Kinew promised to spend $20 million over two years on the plan. Encampments are chosen one at a time and there is a 30-day window to secure housing and needed supports before residents are moved and the site is cleared.

The province said 300 social-housing units had been purchased or renovated for the initiative.

Kinew said his government would end chronic homelessness within two terms.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter

Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol.

Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.