Advocates call on Manitoba government for affordable housing ahead of budget

With provincial budget day fast approaching, advocates are calling on the Manitoba government to make public housing units like this a priority. It’s an issue that’s top of mind for tenant Paula Kierstead. She can afford her monthly rent of $900 in a former nonprofit apartment complex, but Kirstead doesn’t have much room in her budget for any possible rent increases. Good grief, there’s only so much you can afford for your apartment, and then when you start adding the inflation of food, people are really struggling. 287 unit building she lives in was sold last year to a private company. It’s the opposite of what housing advocates like Shawna McKinnon want to see. She’s with the Right to Housing Coalition. It’s calling on the province to expand its supply of housing with rents totaling no more than 30% of household income, starting with a commitment of 1000 units in the April 2nd budget. So we need to do that through new builds, which takes a while, but it is something that we need to start doing. Through acquisition of existing buildings and, you know, repairing them, retrofitting them into social housing. Right to Housing also says funding is needed to make sure tenants have access to support workers. And they say a capital maintenance fund and operating subsidy is needed to make sure existing units don’t fall into disrepair. Housing Minister Bernadette Smith wouldn’t give exact details, but hinted at support in the upcoming budget for adding and maintaining public housing. We will continue to invest in what we have, support nonprofits, and build social and affordable housing, McKinnon says. It has to go further than subsidies for people who can’t find or afford housing to rent in the private market. That’s what’s keeping Kirstead S rent from rising right now. But after the provincial subsidy ends, she’s not sure what to expect. So I’m nervous. I’m very nervous, She says. More public housing would give people who live on a low income more options to find a place to call home. Josh Crab, CBC News Winnipeg.