Manitoba Liberals pledge 10K same-day housing units to address homelessness

Manitoba's Liberals say if they're elected to government this fall, they would ensure no one in the province is sleeping in a park or bus shelter by the year 2025.

The party says it is committing to providing 10,000 same-day housing units for people who are homeless, using a combination of new and repurposed spaces.

Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont made the announcement Friday morning at Coronation Park along St. Mary's Road in Winnipeg, where people without a home have been known to camp.

"We've seen homeless encampments under the Norwood Bridge, in bus shelters, on St. Mary's and Goulet [Avenue] and across the city. And I have to say, I don't know in my lifetime when I've ever seen things worse. I don't know when I've ever seen more suffering in our province," he told reporters.

"Our commitment is to same-day housing. We would model anti-homelessness programs that already exist and are successful in other cities, and we will have it fully running by 2025 to ensure by that year, no one in Manitoba has to sleep in a park or in a bus shelter."

"Homelessness is not something that's caused by the behaviour of individuals. It's been caused by policy failures of this government."

Progressive Conservative position

The Liberal leader accused the current Progressive Conservative government of not doing enough to help people who are chronically homeless.

"The PCs actively made homelessness worse, and their major focus continues to be just expanding shelters with mats on floors," he said.

In an email to CBC News, a spokesperson for the PCs said it has committed $126 million for initiatives to help end homelessness.

Lamont would work with existing poverty organizations and all levels of government to achieve his party's goal, he said, adding he'd also work with private landlords to identify housing options.

Funding for this initiative would come from savings from policing and health budgets, he said.

More details about how it would be paid for will be in the Liberals fully-costed platform, which will be released around the time the writ is dropped.

The Liberals also pledged to provide support for people who are housed but need help to address matters such as obtaining employment assistance and health-care coverage, and/or dealing with mental health issues and addictions.

The party previously announced its same-day housing pledge in January. As part of its pre-election campaign in recent weeks, the Liberals have promised to increase funding for domestic violence shelters and to set up halfway houses for offenders transitioning out of the provincial jail system, two pledges the party reiterated on Friday.

Election day in Manitoba is Oct. 3.