BUILD MODULAR HOUSING FOR HOMELESS: GILLINGHAM
(Winnipeg) - To provide safe, supportive housing for homeless people struggling with mental health and addiction challenges, mayoral candidate Scott Gillingham proposes to copy modular ‘rapid housing’ programs in Toronto, Vancouver and Surrey – and committed he would secure Council pre-approval for six modular housing sites on city land, sufficient to provide 270 units of safe housing.
“Winnipeg is already building homes using federal Rapid Housing fund dollars,” he said, noting that non-profit and indigenous groups are already building 136 units on a similar model. Gillingham helped to secure temporary City staff to support this “Rapid Housing” effort in the 2022 budget.
“Speed is critical,” said Gillingham. “We need to accelerate it, pre-approving a pipeline of housing sites so we’re ready to build more when $1.5b in Phase III of Rapid Housing funds are available from this year’s federal budget, and from any follow-up funding.”
Under Gillingham’s proposed copy of Toronto’s approach:
• The City would waive permit costs, property tax and land costs while pre-approving zoning for modular construction on six designated city-owned or acquired sites;
• The City would access its share of federal Rapid Housing funds, or other CMHC funds if necessary, financing the capital cost of modular housing construction;
• Provincial programs would be engaged for “wrap-around” social services to each site; and
• Ownership and operation of each completed site would be transferred to non-profits and indigenous housing organizations through an RFP process.
In other cities, this approach typically means completion of new supportive housing for the homeless within 8-12 months of site approval. But Gillingham noted that “site approvals are the tough part,” so he is committing to lead Council to find and pre-approve six sites by year-end 2023.
Proposed sites will be selected for minimal conflicts to outflank potential legal delays, and Council will conduct the selection in committee-of-the-whole to maximize transparency. 270 new units represents a realistic construction pipeline if federal funding continues at the current speed. It is larger per-capita than Toronto’s current 1000-unit program goal.
Gillingham spoke today in view of a City-owned lot for sale on Alexander Avenue in the city’s Centennial neighbourhood, beside an existing Manitoba Housing site, with sufficient lot space on both sites to accommodate modular housing. “Other provinces are cooperating with these programs by providing wrap-around social and health services,” he said. “As Mayor, I will work with the Manitoba government to ensure we cooperate on this approach, with what we’ve seen from governments in B.C. and Ontario.”
“To build a stronger, safer city,” Gillingham said, “we need to bring people who need help into places where they can safely access that help, and where help can safely access them.”
This is Gillingham’s second announcement with positive action on homelessness since the campaign began. On June 1, he committed to expand a City program offering 24/7 safe spaces to provide temporary shelter assistance. Further announcements will be forthcoming over the next several days
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