Provincial Positions
The Coalition advocates for increased provincial government involvement in housing in the following areas:
– increased investment in both the supply and the quality of social housing
– increased investment in affordable rental housing
– raising Employment and Income Assistance rates.
Below are actions taken by the Coalition regarding provincial involvement.
Coalition says Manitoba’s Poverty Reduction Strategy must prioritize social housing
The Province of Manitoba’s Poverty Reduction Strategy is under review and consultations are being organized. The Right to Housing Coalition has released its recommendations for actions needed in the strategy to increase social housing.
Right to Housing op ed on rent benefits
Read Kirsten Bernas’s article published in the Winnipeg Free Press about reliance on rent benefits in the private rental market to assist low income renters and the need to expand and maintain the supply of publicly-owned housing. Kirsten is the chair of the Coalition’s Provincial Working Group.
Social Housing Action Plan for Manitoba released
The Right to Housing Coalition has put forward A Social Housing Action Plan for Manitoba that pulls together solutions based on decades of research and consultation. The Coalition is calling on all political parties in the 2023 provincial election to commit to implementing a social housing action plan that features the five key pillars in the plan. […]
$296M on Manitoba Housing upgrades since 2016 isn’t enough: Right to Housing Coalition
Kirsten Bernas, Chair of the Coalition’s Provincial Working Group says provincial government plans to spend $67 million to support Manitoba Housing repair projects is a drop in the bucket compared to what’s needed. Read CBC article here. Government news release here
R2H response to recent increase to EIA rates
The Right to Housing Coalition along with Make Poverty History is responding to the recent announcement of an increase to the Basic Needs Benefit under the Province’s income assistance program (EIA) for Manitobans. While the increase is helpful, the additional $50 per month will bring EIA recipients’ income up to 47% of the poverty line. […]
Manitoba Housing cuts wait-list
Families Minister Rochelle Squires announced at a news conference today that the Manitoba Housing wait-list for affordable housing units is now half as long as before – with about 4,600 applicants waiting. Kirsten Bernas of the Right to Housing Coalition cautioned that the crisis in affordable housing is far from over with little increase in […]
Bring back the ban on evictions
At a time when the Manitoba Government is urging people to stay in their homes to protect public health, the Government has lifted its ban on evictions. The ban was put in place in the spring, when Manitoba had one of the lowest COVID-19 infection rates in the country. The ban was removed just as […]
Right to Housing Coalition launches KEEP PUBLIC HOUSING PUBLIC campaign
The Pallister government is selling our public housing. This will leave a legacy of poverty and homelessness across the Province. We need your help to stop this. 1. SIGN UP to support the Campaign 2. EMAIL the Premier, Minister of Housing, and your MLA 3. SHARE the campaign on social media: [DISPLAY_ULTIMATE_SOCIAL_ICONS] Learn more: check […]
Housing Stability Crucial During COVID-19 Crisis
In a recent article in the Winnipeg Free Press, Sarah Cooper and Shauna MacKinnon, both members of the Right to Housing Coalition, advocate for increased support for low income renters in our province during the COVID-19 crisis as well as increased government investment in housing when the crisis subsides. Media coverage around the need for […]
Call for tenant protection during public health crisis
Today The Right to Housing Coalition and Make Poverty History called on the Province of Manitoba to ensure no tenant is evicted from their home or experiences utility disconnections effective immediately. Manitoba should join other jurisdictions across Canada and around the world that have taken leadership in this area. Emergency rental support through an immediate […]