Almost 60 Winnipeg families will soon have affordable housing.
On Tuesday, Federal Housing Minister Ahmed Hussen, joined by Manitoba MPs Dan Vandal and Jim Carr, announced $12.7 million in funding, which doubles an initial investment from the $2.5-billion Rapid Housing Initiative, to go towards three projects.
The West Central Women’s Resource Centre will build 16 homes for women and children fleeing domestic violence. The Manitoba Metis Federation will convert a building at 670 Main Street into 22 units for Indigenous people. The Westminster Housing Society is building modular homes on Broadway for LGBTQ2+ Canadians.
“Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home,” Hussen said.
“Today’s funding through the Rapid Housing Initiative will go a long way to support those who need it most, by quickly providing 59 new affordable homes for vulnerable individuals and families in Winnipeg, including some of the most vulnerable among us, to keep them safe.”
The feds say they’ve now given out more than $42 million to Manitoba under the initiative — a little more than $25 million of that which has gone toward projects in the city of Winnipeg.
Funding has also been used to construct homes in six Manitoba First Nations.
“Through two rounds of funding, the Rapid Housing Initiative has helped create over 130 additional units of much-needed affordable housing in Winnipeg,” said Mayor Brian Bowman in a statement.
“There is more work to do in addressing the lack of affordable housing that continues to be an issue in cities across Canada and today’s announcement is helping to make progress.”