HOUSING NEWS

Ministers, Departments to Work Collaboratively to End Chronic Homelessness

Premier Wab Kinew released the remaining mandate letters that were provided to the newly sworn-in members of the executive council, outlining the immediate priorities and key commitments of their ministries as they work together to end chronic homelessness in the next 8 years.

“Manitobans have given us a mandate to end chronic homelessness,” said Kinew. “These mandate letters lay out the path to a safe, prosperous province with a robust system of culturally appropriate wraparound social supports. I have directed the ministers to work together to ensure all Manitobans are safe, treated with dignity and compassion, and have access to fair and just treatment before the law.”

Bernadette Smith is now the Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness and Minister responsible for Mental Health. You can view the mandate letter for Minister Smith here.

MNPHA Shares Support for Housing Accelerator Fund for Winnipeg

MNPHA has written to members of Winnipeg City Council to express our support for the City of Winnipeg’s application to the CMHC Housing Accelerator Fund. It's a once in a generation opportunity for the City of Winnipeg to play an active and funded role in creating deeply affordable housing to address the needs of the residents of Winnipeg. Housing that is affordable to those in core housing need simply cannot be built without subsidy from government. Building affordable housing quickly and most efficiently requires all levels of government working together.

The Housing Accelerator Fund could bring almost $200 million dollars over three years to help the City of Winnipeg play a more proactive and meaningful role in addressing homelessness and housing need. Importantly, it proposes changes to policies and by-laws that will make affordable housing development faster and easier beyond the lifetime of the fund. CBC News has an article covering the funding requirements for Winnipeg and Minister Fraser's comments about the fund nationally.

Spirit of Service Award Winner

Lesley Thomson of Springfield Seniors Housing Cooperative won the Spirit of Service Award. The Spirit of Service Award honours an employee or volunteer each year from across the province that helps to make their non-profit a better place to live.

Under the leadership of Lesley Thomson, the Springfield Heritage Housing Inc. has secured land, designed, planned the facility, lead a fundraising campaign, and lobbied the Manitoba government for construction funding. “Many seniors would have left this community if it wasn’t for Lesley’s dedications and drive to Dugald Estates, and now Dugald Place projects”, said Mayor Patrick Therrien. “She is providing an opportunity for community members to age in the community they grew up in.”

FALL EDUCATION SESSIONS

Last Chance to Register! Board Governance Training

Learn how to be a part of a successful board. Become a leader in understanding board governance for your organization.

This workshop will address relevant challenges including: 

• The roles and responsibilities of board directors at a non-profit housing organization
• What skills board directors need to meet today’s challenges of governing a non-profit?  
• How to run board meetings smoothly and efficiently?
• How do we recruit new board members?

Conflict Resolution: Dealing with Difficult People

The cost of conflict to an organization is difficult to measure, but workplace stress negatively affects employees in various ways. Statistics indicate that 55 percent of working Canadians experience anxiety, irritability with co-workers, defensiveness, anger, mood swings and feelings of helplessness or of being trapped. This introductory workshop examines basic approaches to conflict and provides the opportunity to learn concepts and communication skills which are critical to handling conflict in healthy ways. It is an essential professional development tool for managers, team leaders and front-line staff.

Usually this training costs over $300 for those signing up directly with Mediation Services, because we're offering it at cost, fees start at $170 with coffee, and lunch.

ONLY 7 SEATS LEFT Deadline Monday, November 13th

NICHI - Funding for Indigenous-led housing available starts November 24

In recognition of the need for immediate action, the federal government and NICHI announced funding of $281.5 million from Budget 2022 to address the critical need for safe and affordable urban, rural and northern Indigenous housing projects. This funding will be delivered through a call-out for Expression of Need to identify and select projects that address the urgent and unmet housing needs of Indigenous Peoples living away from their traditional communities. Learn more

November 16 - 12-1pm - Webinar II – Call-out process explained with walk through application form, information required and the timing. Register here.

November 24 – Funding applications open on the NICHI website

January 12 – Application process ends

January 26 (planned) – Announcement of successful applicants

HOW EFFICIENCY MANITOBA CAN HELP YOU & YOUR TENANTS SAVE

Efficiency Manitoba is a Crown corporation committed to achieving an energy-efficient Manitoba by providing support and services that help residents and businesses use less energy. They can help non-profit housing providers and their tenants save energy, money, and the environment.

Through Efficiency Manitoba’s Energy Efficiency Assistance Program, they work with non-profit housing organizations to help them upgrade their single-detached or semi-detached rental properties to use less energy. An energy advisor will come to the housing organization to assess energy-saving opportunities for each of the units. Non-profit housing providers could qualify for free insulation, a subsidized natural gas furnace, a boiler rebate, and free energy-saving devices such as LED light bulbs, energy-efficient showerheads, and faucet aerators.

To ensure accessibility to the program, Efficiency Manitoba doesn’t require each tenant or household to verify their income. This makes it easier to implement energy-saving upgrades throughout housing organizations rather than on a tenant-by-tenant basis. If the non-profit housing agreement requires tenants to income qualify, or if there’s a mandate stating that housing is intended for lower-income households, the income qualification process can be bypassed. Non-profit housing providers can do this by providing mandates, lease agreements, tenant handbooks, or proof that the tenant’s rent is below the Median Market Rents set by Manitoba Housing.

Efficiency Manitoba helped two Manitoba non-profit housing organizations increase the energy efficiency of their rental units, allowing them and their tenants to save energy and money. Go to their website for the full story.

Canada Greener Affordable Housing Program

Canada Greener Affordable Housing provides low-interest loans and grants for deep energy retrofits. Multi-unit (5+) residential can access the program if they target at 70% reduction in energy consumption and an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Applications for retrofit funding are accepted on a continuous basis until the available funding have been fully committed. Pre-retrofit funding for activities such as energy audits, energy modelling studies and building condition assessment reports required for a retrofit funding application will be open for applications November 1, 2023. Learn more

We list all the funding opportunities, including the ongoing funding on mnpha.com

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Kinew Housing hiring Executive Director

Kinew Housing is Indigenous led and is located in the City of Winnipeg. The Executive Director ensures the efficient and effective management of Kinew Housing Inc. rental properties and is responsible and accountable for all property management functions and activities including maintenance of units and grounds; leasing; vacancy management; tenant relations. The Executive Director will perform these duties and responsibilities in accordance with Kinew Housing Inc.’s project Operating agreement, Manitoba Housing, MHRC, The Residential Tenancies Act and the Residential Tenancies Branch. Read more

The Community Housing Transformation Centre hiring Indigenous Interns

Applications are sought from those interested in a career in the community housing sector, or, from those who are already working in the sector (recent university or college graduates would be an asset) between 18 and 30 years old who identify as Indigenous. The interns will be provided with guidance and support from a full-time Indigenous coach who has expertise in Canada’s community housing sector. 

Each intern will learn about the Centre’s programs and will gain work experience and benefit from internal mentorship as well as gain working experience externally with other sector organizations. Learn more

Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association | www.mnpha.com

membership@mnpha.com I (204)797-6746