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Regarding Social Housing

Over the years, End Homelessness Winnipeg has requested housing unit counts from Manitoba Housing and it has been acknowledged that there were clerical errors in certain categories. Between the years 2018 and 2021, Manitoba Housing transferred the management of multiple properties to the private non-profit sector. These transferred from “MHRC Direct Management” to “Winnipeg Sponsor Managed.” Over the same time period, Manitoba Housing sold multiple properties to private non-profit housing providers. These are now categorized as “Winnipeg Private Non-profit.” The transfers were completed with the underlying commitment to continue offering social and affordable housing, a commitment incorporated into the corresponding agreements with non-profit housing providers.

The increase of social housing units between the years 2021 and 2022 is largely due to a clerical error. The 2021 count under “Winnipeg Private Non-profit” was undercounted, representing only a portion of Manitoba Housing programs in this category. This total should have increased with the sales and management transfers outlined above.

The increase in the “Winnipeg Rent Supplement” unit counts from 2021 to 2022 is primarily due to a change in count method by Manitoba Housing for improved consistency. In 2022 and moving forward, the count is based on units currently under agreement with Manitoba Housing rather than households that live within a rent supplemental unit.

Private Market Rental Rental housing that is owned by the private sector and rented at market rate.

Social Housing

Social housing provides independent, self-contained units for low-income residents whose total household income does not exceed the posted Social Housing Program Limit (e.g., Manitoba Housing program). Social housing is often rent geared-to-income (RGI) housing, where a subsidy is provided to cover the difference between a tenant’s RGI rent and the unit’s market rent. Social housing includes buildings owned and operated by the Province or a non-profit organization; as well as individual, subsidized units owned and operated by private or non-profit landlords. Beyond housing that is directly managed by Manitoba Housing, the Province offers and defines other social housing programs as follows:

• Urban Native Non-Profit Housing – this program targets Aboriginal elderly persons, individuals with disabilities, and families with low to moderate incomes living in urban communities. The program assists Urban Native Non-Profit Organizations to own and to provide subsidized rental housing that is suitable and adequate in the private market.
• Sponsor Managed Social Housing – The program was established to provide adequate publicly owned rental housing accommodation for individuals and families of low income within their financial capacities.
• Private Non-Profit – Various programs were established to provide low interest mortgages or funding contributions directly to Private Non-Profit Organizations to assist low to moderate income elderly persons, individuals with disabilities and families with affordable rental charges in the private market.
• Rent Supplement – The Rent Supplement helps low-income families, elderly and special needs households obtain affordable, adequate and suitable housing in the private rental sector and in non-profit affordable housing initiatives. The provincial government will enter into agreements with owners/operators of private rental housing to subsidize a portion of the homes in the rental property.

Non-Profit & Community Housing

Rental and cooperative housing that is owned by the community sector and rented at market and/or below-market rates. This may include affordable housing provided due to a previous agreement with government; or low-income housing (affordable, below market, rent-geared-to-income) provided without a subsidy from a government body.

Transitional Housing

A supportive and temporary or intermediate type of accommodation that is intended to bridge a gap to permanent or independent housing by offering structure, supervision, support, life skills, education, etc. in a setting that is more long term, service intensive and private than Emergency Shelters. Often, stays are 3 months to 3 years in length.

Permanent Supportive Housing

Rental housing with individualized services for people who have high needs related to physical or mental health, substance use or recovery, and/or developmental disabilities; one option for housing chronically homeless individuals with higher needs.