Transitional housing space in Brandon gets $5M funding boost from Ottawa

A $5 million boost in federal funding could help grow housing options for vulnerable people living in Brandon, Man.

The John Howard Society of Brandon in partnership with Westman Youth for Christ will use the funds to create 24 new transitional housing units in a three-storey building for those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, according to a Government of Canada news release issued Tuesday. The City of Brandon, Infrastructure Canada and Manitoba Hydro are also partners.

"Brandon needs ... transitional housing," said Ross Robinson, John Howard Society of Brandon executive director. "We're going to give them a safe, warm place to live while they develop their skills and become ready for the rest of their life."

The current project is estimated to cost about $10 million and will include 24 residences where people can stay for three months on the second floor and 12 months on the third floor — or longer if needed. Robinson says the goal is to teach people the skills to live and thrive on their own.

The City of Brandon has provided the John Howard Society with a plot of land at 353 16th St. N, and plans have been drawn up for the space by Samson Engineering Inc.

City manager Ron Bowles says supporting transitional housing was a recommendation from the city's downtown wellness and safety task force. Bowles described the project as meeting imminent needs in the community.

"It's a complex situation, regarding our vulnerable population in Brandon, and it does involve many levels of government," Bowles said. "It is aggressive and it's bold … It will take pressure off the street. It will take pressure off our Samaritan House [Safe and Warm Shelter]."

Brandon is one of 41 recipients of the third round of the federal Rapid Housing Initiative's city stream. In addition to this funding, the project partners are seeking grants and will be holding a fundraiser in November to support the project.

Transitional housing needed

In 2022, the city of more than 51,000 recorded 863 people who were living in absolute homelessness, couch surfing, precariously housed, sleeping rough, staying in shelter, receiving housing loss prevention supports, Housing First clients or in transitional or supportive housing.

In recent years Brandon has seen a reduction in the type of housing available for those who are unhoused, said Megan McKenzie, co-ordinator of Brandon Coordinated Access for Homeless. While some programming is available, the large number of new people coming into homelessness means there are not enough options to meet their needs.

She says transitional housing provides wraparound supports that can help people navigate complex systems and services and see their needs met by removing barriers to access.

People experiencing homelessness are extremely vulnerable with complex needs including mental health concerns, intellectual disabilities, health concerns, substance use and other factors, McKenzie said.

When these needs aren't met it can lead to avoidable deaths, she says.

"We're seeing people dying of causes that are preventable. So that's the ultimate end of the line if we don't meet people's needs, they simply cannot survive," McKenzie said.

Preventing recidivism

The John Howard Society — which works with people who have been involved in the justice system, including those who have been incarcerated — was spurred to create transitional housing after the closure of the YWCA's Meredith Place, Robinson said, because there was no longer a halfway house to accommodate those released from correctional centres on day parole.

Right now when someone is released from corrections, if they don't have friends or family to stay with, they often end up at the city's Safe and Warm Shelter or on the street.

Transitional housing plays a critical role in preventing recidivism, McKenzie says. Many people who commit crimes are doing so because they aren't getting the services and support they need. 

"If you meet people's needs and you ensure that they're safe and they're cared for, then they're far less likely to commit crimes," McKenzie said.

Robinson says this makes transitional housing a community-wide need.

"We're a community and we all have a role to play in making things better and we all have a role to play in the success of each individual in our community," Robinson said. "It's not somebody else's problem to fix … it's our problem to fix."

One of the things that has made this project so strong is that it has all different levels of involvement, McKenzie said, combining grassroots wisdom with government support.

"We're going to have to have many more projects that continue on to address other folks' needs because this one project alone won't be enough," McKenzie said.

"We can use it as an example of other projects that we need to continue to develop in the future to help meet the needs of all these other folks that are continuing to be homeless."