Six people experiencing housing insecurity are expected to move into new temporary housing units in Winnipeg's west end by Christmas as the Spence Neighborhood Association prepares to complete a quick housing project that will close one chapter and open the next.
The organization has commissioned two prefabricated homes as part of its rapid housing project and is working to complete the remaining requirements before accepting young people in need of temporary housing. The organization hopes the final steps will be completed within the next 10 days.
“It takes a lot of things to fall into place for this to happen,” said Benjamin Simcoe, housing development coordinator for SNA. “The access steps were installed (Monday), the internet is coming and I believe our water test has passed.”
The project has received funding approval in 2023 under the third round of the federal government's Rapid Housing Initiative, implemented by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
About a quarter of the total $1.85 million came from the province, with the City of Winnipeg managing that funding and providing the land on which the facilities are located.
“It’s really nice,” Simcoe said of the project nearing completion.
“But by closing 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 apartments is because we've never managed any kind of supportive housing before. And we wanted to dive into a reasonable number of apartments.”
“So once construction is finished, we will begin a whole new chapter, which has its own learning curve, which will be operating the housing and supporting the people there.”
The devices were manufactured in Altona by Conquest Manufacturing and installed on Sherbrooke Street between Portage and Ellis avenues. Each individual room is approximately 260 square feet.
Costs came in under budget, allowing the SNA to use remaining funding to help improve homes and repair the often vandalized outreach van.
“The youth will be coming from (the West End 24-hour safe space) and Bear's Den,” Simcoe said, noting that the program will primarily serve people ages 18 to 26. Residents will be connected to workers who provide comprehensive support.
“Income assistance is being paid to people so they can have money for rent and basic needs,” he said. “It allows them to connect with a family doctor, get mental health support and addiction help if they need it or want it. For some people, it's family reunification, so you may have someone who is trying to get their child back or reunite their family and they need the stability to be approved for that over time.”
Youth living in the apartments will also be able to access vocational training.
Simcoe said 10 to 15 young people sleep each night at the organization's 24-hour safe space.
Meanwhile, transporting prefabricated buildings around the city has proven to be a rewarding experience.
“We realized this quite late: it’s impossible to move a building around the city during the day,” he said.
Both devices were trucked outside the city and then had to be transported to their respective locations around 3 a.m., Simcoe said. Parking restrictions had to be put in place to allow trucks to maneuver. Then the installation crews arrived to put the buildings on their foundations.
Scott Billeck – magazine general assignment reporter Free press. A graduate of Red River College's Creative Communications Department, Scott has over a decade of experience covering hockey, soccer and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024. More about Scott.
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