Today at the Standing Policy Committee for Property and Development, I moved a motion that was passed to advance supportive housing in Winnipeg:
Moved by Councillor Rollins,
WHEREAS OurWinnipeg 2045 and Complete Communities Direction Strategy 2.0 goals and policies reiterate Council’s commitment to increase the supply of affordable housing and conserve and increase development of a continuum of affordable and supportive housing throughout the city as a fundamental human right;
AND WHEREAS OurWinnipeg 2045 speaks to using a Housing First approach to enable development of housing and supports for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness;
AND WHEREAS Winnipeg’s Poverty Reduction Strategy and the Winnipeg Street Census 2022 identify that housing and homelessness solutions must be well resourced and be determined in consultation with Indigenous Peoples;
AND WHEREAS the City has committed to regularly reporting on progress on the MMIWG Calls to Justice, and there are specific calls for all levels of government to immediately fund and support Indigenous-led housing;
AND WHEREAS the City of Winnipeg has multiple affordable housing programs to facilitate the provision of capital and land to non-profit housing organizations and third parties to help leverage investments from other funders and levels of government;
AND WHEREAS the main purpose of the City under The City of Winnipeg Charter act is “to promote and maintain the health, safety, and welfare of the inhabitants” (Section 5 (1) d); AND WHEREAS the Province of Manitoba is the housing authority and carries the mandate to deliver and fund the operation of social and supportive housing;
AND WHEREAS the Mayor of Winnipeg has pledged to leverage funding from other levels of government between now and 2026 towards the creation of 270 units of supportive housing;
AND WHEREAS the Mayor’s Platform identifies other Cities, including Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton and Regina, which have successfully employed a modular/supportive housing program, in strategic partnership with their respective Provinces;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
1. That the City of Winnipeg take steps to:
A. Ensure Federal rapid housing funds flow through to 2026 and work selectively with partners and to identify sites in order to quickly access funds yearly 2023- 2026.
B. Secure from Council pre-approval for six modular housing sites on city-owned or purchased land, sufficient to provide 270 units of safe housing and complete new supportive housing for the homeless within 8-12 months of site approval.
C. Waive all municipal property taxes, permit and development-related fees on these projects for the duration of the Federal funding agreement.
D. Collaborate with the Province of Manitoba in provision of wrap-around support services for supportive housing.
E. Explore office-to-residential conversions to keep downtown buildings vibrant amid the ‘work-from-home’ trend; and propose appropriate changes for inclusion in the City of Winnipeg’s Zoning By-law Review which support key commercial corridors and transit-oriented destinations, including but not limited to residential construction as-of-right, and the reduction or elimination of parking minimums.
F. And report back in 120 days on the operationalization of the resolutions.
2. That the Proper Officers of the City be authorized to do all things necessary to implement the intent of the foregoing.
Carried