Provincial Budget Campaign 2026
Manitoba Must Catch Up on Social Housing Investments in Budget 2026
Current Calls to Action
The Crisis
Manitoba is falling behind on social housing. Too many people struggle to find safe, affordable homes.
- 50,000+ renter households live in unaffordable housing
- 7,500 households are waiting for social housing (the most since 2020)
- 2,500 people are homeless on any given night in Winnipeg
- Thousands more face hidden homelessness
Housing insecurity affects people across Manitoba — including families, seniors, workers, and students.
The Problem
Manitoba does not have enough social housing while existing units are aging and underfunded. Relying on the private market has failed to deliver affordable homes. Most new housing is too expensive for people with low and moderate incomes.
Current efforts to expand and protect social housing focus mainly on people living in encampments. While this is important, it does not prevent homelessness. Manitoba needs a system that supports people before they reach crisis.
Previous budgets show progress but investments have not kept pace with need. In 2024, The Right to Housing Coalition identified the need for 1,000 new social housing units and $150M annually to maintain existing homes over 10 years. The Province has not fully met these targets, meaning larger investments are needed now to get back on track.
The Solution
The Right to Housing Coalition is calling for bold action in Budget 2026:
- Build More Social Housing – Add 1,980 non-market, rent-geared-to-income units in 2026/27, as part of a long-term commitment to add 10,000 social housing units by 2034.
- Protect Existing Social Housing – Invest $311.2M into a capital maintenance fund and invest in an operating subsidy fund to ensure no social housing units are lost due to disrepair or lack of operating subsidies.
- Support Tenants – Fund highly trained mental health, addictions, and primary care professionals, plus community support workers, to stabilize tenancies and support wellbeing.
Manitoba cannot afford to fall further behind. Bold action is needed now.