Program Activities

• Tenant Landlord Cooperation (TLC): The North End TLC continues to improve relationships between landlords and tenants. With the support of an HRDC summer-student, TLC created a new Access-based landlord registry to map rental housing within NPD and WW. The new registry enabled program information to be mailed out to over 1,300 landlords within WW and NPD. The database was used again and additional information was sent out with the Exterior Fix-up Grants program. A landlord forum was held to solicit input on the program and was attended by over 35 landlords. In partnership with the RTB, delivered workshops in all five areas on Rights and Responsibilities for both tenants and landlords. Worked with all five residents associations to maintain priority access for TLC landlords to the fix-up grants, and expand the scope of work permitted to both exterior and interior repairs.
• Innovative Housing Renewal: NECRC continues to support the SISTARS Community Economic Development Co-Op house and daycare development.
• Housing Training Initiative (HTI): NECRC promoted the workshops through the Exterior Fix-up and TLC programs through mail outs that reached approximately 1,500 landlords and resident homeowners. Housing Coordinators continue to attend workshops and support the HTI program. Workshops take place at five community locations including; NECRC, Ralph Brown Community Centre, Spence Neighbourhood, Daniel Macintyre, and Centennial. Workshops continue to meet the needs within the community, and housing resource libraries are available at four of the five locations within participating communities.
• Building Construction Maintenance Program (BCMP): This program was carried out in partnership with the MHA and RB Russell High School as a training program for youth interested in carpentry and housing construction. The program provides hands-on experience through the maintenance and repair of MHA properties. Under the guidance of one journeymen carpenter and one lead hand, local North End students and/or graduates (many from RB Russell High School), participated in the program. In 2008-2009, the crew completed the renovation of 60 MHA units of housing at Carrigan Green Crest, and built front and rear fences on 256 units at Gilbert Park, thereby improving the quality of social housing within Winnipeg. The program operated on a budget of $500,000 in salaries for the ‘08-09 year and saw local North End residents hired to work and build their skills. As a result of the program, four trainees transitioned to permanent work with MHA and the lead carpenter joined MHA’s staff in Thompson. The program’s first student to be enrolled in the apprenticeship program at Red River Community College completed their first year of the program in September. Currently, BCMP has just signed a contract to employ 50 North End residents for a value of $1.5 million for employment, training and the interior renewal of MHA housing at Gilbert Park and Lord Selkirk Park.
• Winnipeg Rental Network: The Winnipeg Rental Network Coordinator position was a hire by a group of over twenty-one community-based organizations to research, plan, and implement a housing registry and website for median and lower-income renters in the City of Winnipeg. The project’s goal is to improve community services and service delivery networks while creating a database of housing providers with vacancies. The WRN held a forum to solicit participation and input that was attended by over 45 organizations. The WRN website has been built and is receiving approximately 125 hits a day. The website provides links to housing resources for landlords and tenants as well as vacancy postings for affordable rental housing.
• New Neighbourhoods Initiatives: NECRC assisted St John’s, Dufferin, and LSP residents with the implementation of their housing renewal plans, wrote proposals, and managed fix-up grants and TLC programming in their neighbourhoods.
• Vacant & Boarded-Up Properties: Properties are being monitored on a regular basis during the Exterior Fix-up Grant Program. Housing Coordinators in each HIZ neighbourhood worked closely with the City By-law Enforcement Unit while collaborating with resident groups to enforce the city by-laws as in-fill housing and new rental supply projects filled empty lots with new housing, and renovation projects renewed distressed properties. A boarded and vacant housing registry and mapping system was developed for WW, NPD, St. John’s, Dufferin, and LSP to further track housing renewal.
• Referrals: Housing Coordinators advised residents on how to access city, provincial, and federal housing assistance. The Housing Coordinator updated and distributed housing resource information sheets for resident owners, landlords, and tenants.
• Community Audits: A general audit of housing and safety issues took place during the Exterior Fix-up Grant Program in the WW and NPD communities. NPD reported issues in the area on a regular basis, while staff reported and/or intervened on housing issues with city inspectors.
• Staffing: One full-time Housing Coordinator is dedicated to WW and NPD while a second coordinator is focused on Dufferin, LSP and St. Johns at half time. The remaining half of this full time position is spent facilitating the promotion and access to the MB Hydro Low-income Hydro Grants through the BUILD program. Full time coordinators were hired for the TLC and WRN programs.