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Housing, Addictions and Homelessness
There should be no chronic homelessness in a rich country like Canada.
To address chronic homelessness, Premier Wab Kinew and Housing, Addictions, and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith introduced Your Way Home: Manitoba's Plan to End Chronic Homelessness on January 14th, 2025. The plan sets out a path to end chronic homelessness in two terms of government.
On this page:
- The Approach
- Want to Help?
- Learn more and support one of the many project partners involved
- Need Help?
The Approach
Like many other provinces, Manitoba has seen a dramatic increase in homeless encampments over the past several years.
These encampments put the safety of all Manitobans at risk - both those living in tents and the families, seniors and businesses nearby.
Our plan focuses on the estimated 700 Manitobans who are currently living in encampments. While we continue to invest in building social, affordable housing for everyone, our immediate priority is to house these people.
We're taking a One Manitoba approach to ending chronic homelessness - working with the organizations doing the work on the frontlines to bring in a long-term strategy to end chronic homelessness, and coordinating and streamlining the efforts of community organizations and municipal governments to ensure we're all pulling in one direction.
The Your Way Home plan is led by the Minister of Housing, Addictions, and Homelessness, Bernadette Smith, and The Premier's Senior Advisor on Ending Chronic Homelessness, Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud.
Want to Help?
Call 211 if someone needs supports or a wellness check
Call 311 to report an encampment or a public space that needs a cleanup
Learn more and support one of the many project partners involved, including:
- Oyate Tipi is taking donations of furniture or housewares.
- Sunshine House has opened 14 units of supportive housing and is making sure 2SLGBTQ* needs are top of mind at the Encampment to Housing Implementation Committee.
- Main Street Project is supporting outreach and housing. As a core Outreach Provider, they're creating processes and transition plans to move folks into housing and consulting with all outreach partners and housing providers to make a system that works.
- The Aboriginal Health & Wellness Centre's Mobile Healthcare and Wellness Clinic is bringing medical care to those in need in a culturally informed and caring way.
- Downtown Community Safety Partnership is supporting outreach and clean up through the Clean Slate program!
- Ikwe Widdjiitiwin is in the planning stages of housing units designed by and for Indigenous women leaving encampments.
- Siloam Mission is supporting property management for other non-profits and clean ups through its MOST team.
- West Central Women's Resource Centre is making sure women's needs are top of mind at the Encampment to Housing Implementation Committee.
Need Help?
When you or a loved one are ready to take a next step, your government will be there for you. A number of supports like housing, health care, social supports, and addictions treatment are available to you. These services are being coordinated through Manitoba 211. Call 211 or visit Manitoba 211 to get more information about how we can help.