Gillingham pledges help for homeless

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This article was published 01/06/2022 (937 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MAYORAL candidate Scott Gillingham has promised to create more safe spaces for the homeless.

On Wednesday, he said if he’s elected Oct. 26, he would expand Winnipeg’s 24-7 safe space grant.

“We can’t expect anything to change for the long term if we’re simply moving homeless people and unsheltered people out of one park or underpass or a bus shelter, only to force them into another public space where they’ll be just as exposed to the elements, to crime and victimization as before,” said Gillingham, who is currently a councillor.

“It will be a high priority for me to increase Winnipeg’s temporary shelter options for homeless and at-risk people so that we can break the cycle for everyone’s sake.”

The city has a $250,000 annual 24-7 safe-space grant that supports Ka Ni Kanichihk’s Velma’s House and WE24, which are both in the West End.

Velma’s House is open seven days a week with daytime and evening hours. It serves women, and those who identify as women, some of whom have experienced violence, exploitation and/or homelessness. West End 24-Hour Safe Space for Youth, also known as WE24, is a drop-in site for homeless youth that offers overnight hours seven days a week.

Gillingham made the pledge outside of WE24 as he promised to help those organizations reach their goal of round-the-clock operations, while adding additional safe spaces in the North End.

The grant is set to expire at the end of 2023, though council will consider extending it until 2027 in the next multi-year budget process.

Gillingham said he would extend it until 2026 and add $150,000 in each of 2023 and 2024 to support safe space operations, followed by $175,000 more for operations in 2025 and 2026.

He said he’d devote $50,000 in each of the four years for a “community rent credit,” which he said will be explained later in his campaign.

Gillingham said his plan should bring the existing safe spaces “closer” to 24-7 operations but acknowledged reaching the goal would likely require additional funding, potentially from other levels of government. While he credited the existing grant for covering thousands of shelter visits and meals, as well as helping nearly 100 people find permanent homes since it was created in 2020, Gillingham said the demands for service require a further investment.

“(The current services are) not enough because we know that the threat and vulnerability are not limited to (a set) time of day,” he said.

Kris Clemens, manager of communications for End Homelessness Winnipeg, welcomed the announcement.

“It’s a response to some immediate and long-standing concerns. It was great that the city started to fund 24-7 safe spaces. But the size of the grants available meant that the two organizations… have never been able to increase their hours of operation to actually be 24-7,” said Clemens.

She said limited safe space hours have led some people to leave such sites whether they had a place to go or not.

“At Velma’s house last summer, they had people sleeping on their porch… because of feeling safe there and not having other suitable options,” Clemens said.

Expanding Velma’s House hours could also address demands for more service to protect women and girls fleeing violence, she said.

“That includes people experiencing homelessness, who are at higher risk of violence than the general population… with the loss of life recently with precariously housed and under-housed Indigenous women, the critical need is obviously apparent,” said Clemens.

Nine candidates have registered to run for mayor.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Joyanne loves to tell the stories of this city, especially when politics is involved. Joyanne became the city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press in early 2020.

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