Winnipeg Rental Network no longer a standalone entity

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/12/2022 (1060 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For about 15 years, the Winnipeg Rental Network worked as an inter-agency initiative providing support to tenants, landlords, and service agencies regarding rental issues and tenure security. As of Dec. 31, the network is shutting down its platforms and revamping its data and services under the North End Community Renewal Corporation’s banner.

Marianne Cerilli initiated the WRN back in December 2007.

“First meeting was Dec. 10, 2007, at the Winnipeg Building on Salter at the time. Forty organizations showed up. What we wanted to do was collaborate on creating a database (of deeply affordable rental vacancies)” Cerilli said. This addressed a very acute need at the time, with a very low rental vacancy rate — and the need for a deeply affordable listing persists, given the scarcity of housing affordable to those with low-incomes in Winnipeg.

“The big thing (the Rental Network) did was that it brought together the various individuals who are all doing some type of housing support work across Winnipeg” said Christina Maes Nino. Maes Nino was involved with WRN when she worked as a community animator with the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg.

Maes Nino said the WRN helped tenants find housing, prevented evictions, and made landlords aware of fix-up grants. She added that through its Community of Practice networking events, WRN brought together staff from many community organizations doing similar tenant and rental support work.

Maes Nino added that WRN was always housed in NECRC, but had a governance committee with representatives from other community organizations.

The West Broadway Community Organization was one of the groups involved with WRN. While the network’s heyday was before current executive director Kelly Frazer’s time, she noted the WBCO has many current programs geared to renters. This includes a tenant adviser, who helps with eviction prevention. There is also a tenant advocacy program that focuses on educating tenants on their rights, including when rent hikes are above guidelines.

Alana Ring-Woodard is housing manager with NECRC. She noted that there was not funding to maintain and update the outmoded Winnipeg Rental Network as a separate website and platform. NECRC’s housing services were restructured into one during the pandemic and NECRC will continue to provide the Rental Network’s services, albeit with fewer staff.

“The programs, the information, the landlord workshops, the Community of Practice, the RentSmart (education program for tenants) (…) we still provide that,” Ring-Woodard emphasized.