Rooming houses ‘death traps’

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This article was published 01/09/2017 (3098 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The city isn’t doing enough to address an “epidemic” of illegal rooming houses, and those tasked with fighting their spread simply don’t have the resources to do so effectively, says the president of Winnipeg’s firefighters union.

“They’re doing more than they have in the past, but I don’t think the city fully realizes the complicated nature of these rooming houses,” said Alex Forrest, president of United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg. “It’s an epidemic, in the downtown, in the North End, around the university. It really is a bigger issue in Winnipeg than it is in other cities in Canada. The reality is: can we go to every rooming house in the city as we should? No, we can’t.”

He went on to say it’s common to find 10 to 15 people living in a “one- or two-family dwelling,” or a 2,000-square-foot home with eight to nine bedrooms.

Between fire prevention and bylaw officers, there are around 45 people tasked with investigating illegal rooming houses in the city. While they’ve been successful in shutting down some properties — many of which Forrest characterizes as “literal death traps” — firefighters are left carrying out people in body bags far too often, he said.

“Our involvement in illegal rooming houses often ends tragically. We have situations where three or four families are each living in one room of these places. It’s a death trap created by these slum landlords,” Forrest said. “It puts families at risk. It puts firefighters at risk. When people know who is in the house, they can tell us if everyone made it out. But at these rooming houses, they can’t, and we may have to send someone into a house that’s fully engulfed.”

His comments came during an interview with the Free Press on Thursday, the same day Coun. Janice Lukes (South Winnipeg-St.Norbert) released a report indicating there may be more than 150 illegal rooming houses in Fort Richmond and University Heights.

While Forrest applauds the research Lukes has done, he stresses these properties are prevalent throughout the city.

In particular, impoverished areas are increasingly prone to illegal rooming houses, as they’re the last option before sleeping on the streets for many living below the poverty line.

Mayor Brian Bowman did not have a chance to read the report authored by Lukes as of Thursday afternoon, according to a spokesman.

“Ensuring the safety of rooming house occupants across Winnipeg is paramount. Councillor Lukes has not shared the findings of her report or its recommendations with the mayor. Mayor Bowman looks forward to reviewing her report,” the spokesman said.

While the city has increased resources for the investigation of illegal rooming houses by hiring an additional four to six fire prevention officers, Forrest said they still don’t have the ability to clamp down on the landlords operating them in the city.

Lukes’s report highlights the lack of on-campus student housing available at the University of Manitoba to be a main contributing factor behind the high concentration of illegal rooming houses in Fort Richmond and University Heights.

The school has the lowest percentage of on-campus student housing of all 15 of Canada’s research universities.

When asked if the school had a significant role to play in addressing the issue, a spokeswoman for the university said it takes seriously the role it plays in the community.

“Over the summer, the university met twice with the neighbourhood association to identify issues and possible solutions and is committed to continuing the productive partnership,” the spokeswoman said.

But on this point, Forrest says the university has a long way to go, adding it has a “very big role to play” when it comes to addressing why so many of its students end up living in these illegal properties.

“If you want to market yourself as affordable, high-quality education, then you better find a way to offer affordable, high-quality accommodations,” Forrest said. “I think a huge responsibility falls on U of M. Why isn’t there more subsidized housing on the U of M campus? It just doesn’t make any sense.”

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca