Winnipeg, MB – Today, the Government of Canada and City of Winnipeg announced the recipients of the first round of grants under the Housing Accelerator Fund Capital Grant Program. The City has awarded $25 million in grants to 11 local housing projects focused on affordable housing and projects located in Downtown Winnipeg.
The awarded projects are expected to create a total of 1135 new housing units in Winnipeg. Of those new units, 597 will be affordable units and 613 located in Downtown Winnipeg.
“Through the Housing Accelerator Fund, we’re working with cities like Winnipeg to tackle housing shortages and get more shovels in the ground,” said The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister responsible for PrairiesCan. “These 11 projects will provide more Winnipeggers with safe, affordable homes and contribute to the economic vitality of downtown Winnipeg.”
“Our government is pleased to work with the City of Winnipeg as we share the common goal of building more housing. I’d like to congratulate the City for successfully awarding $25 million in Housing Accelerator Funds to so many incredible projects. With these developments, Winnipeggers will soon be able to access more safe, affordable, and rent-geared-to-income housing. We look forward to more collaboration as these projects come to life.”, said Bernadette Smith, Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness.
“These grants are a critical investment in our city’s housing market,” added Mayor Scott Gillingham. “By focusing on affordable and downtown housing, we’re addressing urgent needs and helping create a more inclusive, vibrant Winnipeg. I’m proud of the role this program will play in ensuring more residents have access to safe, affordable homes.”
The 11 awarded project sites, proponents, and descriptions include:
- 440 Edmonton St. (UWCRC 2.0 Inc. & 10162513 Manitoba Ltd.): This project will convert a vacant 13-story commercial building into a residential complex with 180 new transitional, social, and affordable housing units.
- 145 Transcona Blvd. (Winnipeg Housing Rehabilitation Corporation): This new development will provide 154 units designed to house families and people with disabilities currently experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Forty-six percent of units will be deeply affordable, and an additional 31 units will be rent geared to income designated for vulnerable populations.
- Endaaying (Our Home) (Ndinawemaaganag Endaawaad): This new 23-unit transitional housing development in Winnipeg’s North End will provide housing with wrap-around supports for Indigenous youth.
- Our Safe Space (Manitoba Inuit Association): This project will have 15 transitional housing units for Inuit women and women with children who are escaping gender-based violence. The facility will be the first housing initiative lead and operated by Inuit to serve Inuit within Manitoba.
- Market Lands North Mixed-Use (Market Lands Inc.): This new mixed-use development will provide 128 mixed-income housing units, including 48 deeply affordable units, a large commercial space, and a daycare with a dedicated play area.
- Second-Stage GBV Transitional Housing Project (University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corporation): A new, 15-unit, transitional housing development for Indigenous and Newcomer women, Two Spirit, trans, and non-binary people, and their dependents who have experienced gender-based violence (GBV). Wrap-around support services to be provided by Family Dynamics, Ikwe Widdjiitiwin, and New Journey Housing.
- 228 King St. & 261 Princess St. (Winnipeg Chinatown Development Corporation): This new, 54-unit apartment in the heart of Chinatown will include a daycare space, 14 affordable units, and 15 units that are rent geared to income.
- 346 Pacific Ave. (MRH Properties): This new, privately-owned development will convert a downtown surface parking lot into 128 units of housing, including 38 affordable units.
- 2675 Portage Ave. (Shoal Lake 40 First Nation): This new development will provide 150 units of housing, over 40% of which will be a mix of affordable one, two, and three-bedroom units. This building will be open to the public offering safe, affordable housing for all residents, including Shoal Lake 40 First Nation community members wishing to live, study, and work in Winnipeg.
- 530 St. Mary Ave. & 252 Good St. (Longboat): The new 165-unit, privately owned development will provide 50 units of affordable housing, 1,780 square feet of commercial space, and aims to be accessible for every ability.
- 125 Garry St. (Westgate Developments Ltd and LVDC Holdings Ltd): This privately-owned development will convert a largely vacant commercial building into a mixed-use apartment with a commercial ground floor and 126 units of housing, including 32 affordable units.
There was considerable interest in the Housing Accelerator Fund Capital Grant program, with 66 total grant applications and requests for approximately $160 million in funding. The City plans to announce further capital grant opportunities in the coming months, pending direction from Council. In addition, the City and Province of Manitoba have introduced a “single window” approach, allowing non-profit organizations to submit housing proposals for streamlined consideration for funding.
“The Housing Accelerator Fund Grant process has created an exciting pipeline of potential new developments across Winnipeg,” said Councillor Sherri Rollins, Chairperson of the Standing Policy Committee on Property & Development. “Members of the Public Service are working hard to maintain this momentum by leveraging the City’s Affordable Housing Now program and partnering with other levels of government to seek additional funding opportunities, particularly for affordable housing projects.”
In December 2023, the Government of Canada and City of Winnipeg announced $122.4 million in funding for new housing in Winnipeg, under CMHC’s Housing Accelerator Fund. This funding is expected to fast track the development of 3,166 new housing units by 2027, including at least 931 affordable housing units. The Capital Grant Program is one of the key action items proposed by the City in its application to the Housing Accelerator Fund.
More information on the Housing Accelerator Fund and the City’s other key action items is available at: Housing Accelerator Fund | City of Winnipeg.