As the list of vacant and derelict buildings in Winnipeg continues to grow, one not-for-profit organization is helping to make a difference while also helping families in need.
Habitat for Humanity has been helping build new homes throughout the city for decades, whether it purchases the property outright, it’s donated or it was seized by the city.
“We certainly are a part of the solution,” CEO Sandy Hopkins said. “Already, conservatively, we have built 100 homes in the core and in the North (End) over the last 30 years and we would happily build 100 more if the properties were available.”
Habitat recently purchased a home on Alfred Street in the city’s William Whyte neighbourhood that had been sitting on the city’s Vacant Building By-law enforcement list for months.
“There was a fire in the property in the spring and the owner called me and asked if we’d be interested in purchasing it,” Hopkins said.
It’s a situation that may not be commonplace but it does happen and it’s an opportunity the organization will jump at if the timing or the location is right.
“Depending on what our circumstances are, in terms of how much land we have in our bank and where we have individuals wanting to live in different parts of the city, we will pursue properties in the North End or in other parts of Winnipeg, and sometimes they’re derelict properties.”
The city currently has 615 properties being enforced under its Vacant Building By-Law and years ago the first property it seized ended up in the hands of Habitat.
“We purchased the very first property that worked its way through the entire derelict properties list a number of years ago,” Hopkins said. “That was a painful process that took about two years.”
The city said it has sold 24 properties to Habitat for Humanity since 2006, including six in 2018 alone.
The city’s Vacant Building By-Law allows the city to issue fines for boarded-up buildings and conduct annual inspections, with an option to issue tickets for violations.
“If we issue an order, say, for the roof and they fail to repair that roof, then what we’ll look at is issuing fines,” bylaw enforcement co-ordinator John Burney said. “Then … we issue a summons to compel them to appear in court.”
If the owner continually fails to comply, ultimately, the property can be seized and sold off.
It’s a lengthy process some officials and organizations, like Habitat, would like to see sped up.
“That’s still a difficult, very difficult track to follow, to try to get a piece of property,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins said there is even more red tape to go through once you buy or take over a piece of land and property.
He said a city bylaw currently makes getting a demolition permit difficult, unless the property has been condemned. Otherwise, you are required to also have a replacement building permit taken out at the same time.
For an organization like Habitat, they may not be ready to build on the property right away as it has other projects in the queue.
“You can understand the logic in that in some circumstances. But in our case here and often in the properties we’re buying … we won’t build here for at least two years,” Hopkins said.
“It doesn’t make sense to leave this abandoned building here for two years. It’s a danger to the neighbourhood and so ideally, this should come down on the moment that we receive title.”
The organization would like the city to make it easier to tear down the home so it doesn’t pose a risk to the community.
“It’s really a safety issue,” COO Michelle Pereira said. “We don’t want people going in and starting a fire because they’re cold. We want to make sure that we are responsible owners and that we’re making sure that we don’t leave it in a position where a neighbour’s house will get burnt down.”
Pereira said they have a team that is responsible for checking on all of its properties once a week.
“To drive around the neighbourhoods and the properties that we own and we make sure that if there’s a building on site that it’s still boarded up, the grass is cut, there isn’t things around, there’s not someone living in the building,” she said.