Winnipeg’s housing dichotomy

Opinion

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This article was published 24/08/2023 (749 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There must be a more affordable way to help house Winnipeggers.

In one week, two housing events kicked open the growing divide in Winnipeg’s rental market.

First, the fire atop a highrise in Osborne Village demonstrated the effectiveness of new building techniques and standards that save lives and prevent catastrophes.

The second, the vacate order that forced residents to move out of a condemned inner-city apartment, revealed just how little choice many have in the housing crisis that shelters many in substandard conditions.

While these events are distinct, they nonetheless reinforce a diverse set of challenges facing renters when securing shelter (and often at a moment’s notice).

As well, these events bring to light the growing gap in the rental market that shuts out many from quality housing while exposing affordability issues for modest income earners.

What we need to take away from this is that more needs be done to support renters, especially those at the affordable end of the spectrum while addressing issues for modest income earners.

Unfortunately, Winnipeggers are no stranger to relying on poor quality rental housing.

Over the last 25 years, this city has witnessed a growing number of tragedies in rooming houses, old dilapidated hotels and a growing number of apartments that are unfit for habitation.

We have seen the effect of devastating fires, killings and the impact of the opioid crisis. Much of this has been within the inner city that has borne the brunt of the affordable housing crisis.

What remains striking is that “doing nothing” seems to remain the policy of choice.

As tenants streamed out of the apartment, advocates echoed it is better to house people in deplorable conditions than it is to subject them to the likelihood of becoming homeless. I too felt that protecting Winnipeg’s rooming house and single-room occupancy hotels from such fate was a necessary evil and that there was no alternative other than the street or shelters.

How has it come to having no choice other than uninhabitable housing or the street? Why have we failed to provide what Canada’s Federal Housing Strategy calls “housing as a human right?”

At the same time, knowing just how impactful poor-quality housing is on well-being and health, how can we continue to propagate that doing nothing is somehow doing what’s right.

Is it not time to hold policy makers to account for the shortcomings in the affordable market? As well, should we not also hold to account those who profit from renting such places?

Enforcement is not only crucial to helping curb poor quality housing from being in the market, it can save lives and prevent tragedies.

But this is moot without improving the stock of housing and having the policies and programs to ensure quality and affordable housing is readily available.

To put this in perspective, a staggering number from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. is that renter households earning under $27,000 per year could only afford four per cent of this city’s rental housing in 2022.

Or put another way, 96 per cent of rental housing was unattainable to Winnipeg’s low-income households.

Certainly it’s valid to suggest that raising incomes will help as households that earn between $45000 to $64,000 can afford over 80 per cent of rental units in Winnipeg. However, we also know that rental market units in this range are hard to find e.g., places that rent for say $1200 to $1600.

To really make a dent in the rental market, there has to be ongoing effort to ensure what is rented meets a community standard for livability and safety.

We cannot continue to have people exposed to some of the most deplorable conditions in Canada.

The only way to do this is to strictly enforce building and occupancy standards but in tandem with programs that ensure housing stability services are available and accessible.

By focusing on quality, safety and supports as fundamental rights must be non-negotiable. Additionally, Manitoba needs to step up in matching and expanding federal housing dollars to ensure we are maximizing the construction and renovation of new and existing units. This will help offer more choice and expand the range of options.

However, we simply cannot let people live in dire circumstances and say it’s better than nothing.

Jino Distasio is a professor of urban geography at the University of Winnipeg.