Spence Neighbourhood Association expects first residents will move into new supportive prefab housing by Christmas

Six people experiencing housing insecurity are expected to move into new transitional housing units in Winnipeg’s West End by Christmas, as the Spence Neighbourhood Association prepares to complete a rapid housing project that closes one chapter and opens the next.

The organization commissioned two prefabricated houses through its rapid housing project and is working to finalize the remaining requirements before welcoming youths in need of transitional housing. The organization is hopeful the final steps will be completed within the next 10 days.

“It takes a lot of things falling into place,” said Benjamin Simcoe, SNA’s housing development co-ordinator. “Access steps were being installed (on Monday), the internet is coming, and I believe our water inspection has passed.”

The project received funding approval in 2023 through the federal government’s third round of the Rapid Housing Initiative, delivered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

About one-quarter of the $1.85 million total came from the province, with the City of Winnipeg administering that funding and providing the land where the units are located.

“It feels really good,” Simcoe said of the project nearing completion.

“But as we close one chapter, which is construction, we’re starting a whole new chapter. One of the reasons we wanted to start with a small number of units is because we’ve never managed any kind of supportive housing before. And we wanted to get our feet wet in a manageable number of units.

“So once construction ends, we’re going to be starting the whole new chapter, which has its own learning curve, which is going to be operating housing and supporting people there.”

The units were built in Altona by Conquest Manufacturing. One has been installed on Sherbrook Street and one on Langside Street, both between Portage and Ellice avenues. Each individual space is about 260 square feet.

The costs came in under budget, allowing SNA to use the leftover funding to help furnish homes and building a secure parking spot at one of their sites to help protect their oft-vandalized outreach van.

“Youths will be coming from (West End 24-Hour Safe Space) and the Bear Den,” Simcoe said, noting the program will mainly serve people between the ages of 18 and 26. Residents will be connected with workers who provide wraparound supports.

“It’s getting people on income assistance so that they can get rent money and basic needs,” he said. “It’s getting them in touch with the family doctor, mental support and addiction supports, if they need or want that. For some people, it’s family reunification, so you might have somebody who’s trying to get their child back or get their family back together, and they need stability in order to be approved for that over time.”

Youths living in the units will also be able to access employment training.

Simcoe said that on any given night, between 10 and 15 youths sleep at the organization’s 24-hour safe space.

Meanwhile, transporting the prefab homes through the city proved to be a learning experience.

“That’s something that we learned pretty late in the process, that you can’t actually transport a building in the city during daytime hours,” he said.

Both units were trucked to just outside city limits, and then had to be taken to their respective sites at about 3 a.m., Simcoe said. Parking restrictions had to be put in place to allow the trucks the ability to manoeuvre. Placement crews then came to ease the buildings onto their foundations.

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca