New Affordable Housing Units Revitalizing Winnipeg Neighbourhoods

Over $2 Million Invested in Winnipeg’s Inner City

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, September 21, 2007 — Aboriginal families with low incomes can soon expect a new home and affordable rent with the construction of ten single-family housing units in Winnipeg’s Centennial, St. John’s and West Alexander neighborhoods. The project received funding from the Winnipeg Housing and Homelessness Initiative (WHHI), a partnership between the Government of Canada, the Province of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg.

Manitoba Family Services and Housing Minister Gord Mackintosh; Kildonan St-Paul; MP Joy Smith, on behalf of the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development; and City Councillor Russ Wyatt, Transcona Ward made the announcement today on the site of one of the new homes.

“Our neighbourhood-driven revitalization is bringing stability and security to our communities, improving the quality of life and providing greater housing options for our residents,” said Minister Mackintosh.

“Canada’s New Government is committed to making affordable housing more available for Aboriginal families in Manitoba and across Canada,” said MP Smith. “With the opening of this project, lower income Aboriginal families in Winnipeg will have access to quality, affordable housing.”

“The City of Winnipeg has an important role to play in working with the other levels of government and community organizations to support affordable housing projects,” said Councillor Wyatt. “Kinew’s housing units are a welcome and needed addition to these neighbourhoods.”

Kinew Housing is building ten single-family affordable housing units in the Centennial (five units), St. John’s (two units) and West Alexander (three units) neighbourhoods. The units will each have three bedrooms and one unit will be accessible for a tenant with mobility challenges.

“Funding assistance through the WHHI allowed Kinew Housing to build ten new affordable housing units,” said Lawrence Poirier, Manager, Kinew Housing. “But what we are most proud of is that we transformed ten vacant lots into new homes for Aboriginal families and we are helping to build stronger communities — that’s what this project is really about.”

The total cost of the project is $2.06 million. WHHI funding includes $1.5 million from the cost-shared Canada – Manitoba Affordable Housing Initiative, which includes $411,613 in Rent Supplement and $134,800 from the City of Winnipeg in funding and land costs.

The Government of Canada’s Urban Aboriginal Strategy, a five-year investment program designed to improve life skills, promote entrepreneurship and employment skill development, and support Aboriginal women, children and families, is also contributing $200,000. Remaining costs will be covered through private financing.

Kinew Housing Inc. is a non-profit Urban Native housing group that owns and manages almost 400 units of housing in Winnipeg. Kinew was incorporated in 1970 and was the first non-profit housing corporation in Canada sponsored, owned and managed by Aboriginal people. Kinew was the sponsor of the very first Urban Aboriginal housing project in Canada 35 years ago.

The Winnipeg Housing and Homelessness Initiative is a partnership established by the Government of Canada, the Province of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg to address homelessness, declining housing stock and the revitalization of Winnipeg’s older neighborhoods.

Since 2000, the WHHI partnership has committed over $99 million to repair, rehabilitate, or construct over 4,000 housing units as well as assist those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The WHHI is a single-window office for community organizations to access information on government-funded housing and homelessness programs. For more information, visit www.whhi.ca.

For more information: