North End Women's Centre included in 12 Winnipeg projects receiving housing funding

The transitional housing component of a women's centre is one of 12 downtown housing initiatives to receive funding from the City of Winnipeg's $25 million housing grant program.

The city announced the recipients of its second round of grants Monday, using money from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund. This round of funding will eventually create 1,418 housing units, including 633 affordable units downtown.

The projects include the North End Women's Centre, a resource centre in the inner city since 1984. The centre has also run a transitional housing program for nearly 20 years, starting with two units above the centre's thrift shop, Upp Shop, in 2006.

"We are so excited for this announcement, which will double our transitional housing capacity," said executive director Cynthia Drebot. She says it will create "opportunities for accessing healing groups, ceremony, in a space that is double this size of what we're in right now."

In 2023 Manitoba's previous government announced the centre would receive $400,000 in funding to help maintain its existing eight-bed program and support women in long-term recovery from substance use and trauma.

The new city-funded facility will be built in the parking lot area of the existing women's centre at 390 and 394 Selkirk Ave., and will have wraparound supports in place to support residents in a multitude of ways including counselling, parenting programs and life skill development, and will house eight rent-geared-to-income units.

Gender-based housing is important for women and gender diverse people who experience homelessness differently than men, and are often precariously housed.

"They're living in very unsafe situations and spaces. They often do not feel safe going to shelters, and they tell us that they are often assaulted when they're in those spaces," Drebot said

Included in the other 11 projects receiving funding through the city's housing program is a 144-unit apartment building that prioritizes Brokenhead Ojibway First Nation members and other First Nations community members at 269 River Ave., managed by Brokenhead Ojibway Nation Development Corp. 

Projects are required to obtain building permits within 12 months of receiving funding, said Mayor Scott Gillingham in a Monday press conference.

The city announced the first round recipients of the program in September 2024. Eleven projects received $25 million dollars, creating 1,135 housing units, including 597 affordable units.

In addition, 16 housing development projects will receive $33.5 million in tax increment financing through the City's Affordable Housing Now Program, according to a Monday news release.

Total construction costs for all projects are expected to exceed $1.6 billion. All projects awarded funding through round two of the Housing Accelerator Fund Capital Grand Program applied during the programs initial intake period with a total of 66 total grant applications.

"What we're really proud of is the partnership that we've been able to establish with the federal government to get housing built," Gillingham said.

"Do we need more? Yes we do," said Gillingham.