Liberals announce measures to help the homeless, NDP tackle rising rent

NDP, Liberals talk housing, homelessness The Manitoba NDP and Manitoba Liberals shared their platforms on housing and homelessness on the campaign trail.

Manitoba's Liberal and NDP leaders were out on the campaign trail Friday, both speaking to housing issues in our province.

"I'm running to be your premier so we can make rent more affordable," said NDP leader Wab Kinew at a campaign stop in Kirkfield Park.

Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont was in St. Boniface at Coronation Park, talking about helping Winnipeg's unsheltered population. "We've seen homeless encampments under the Norwood Bridge, in bus shelters on St. Mary's and Goulet, and across the city," said Lamont. "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."

The Manitoba NDP unveiled its plan to give renters a $700 tax credit every year, among other measures to help with the rising cost of living.

"A Manitoba NDP government will strengthen rent controls with legislation to protect renters from big rate hikes. We'll also prevent the type of situation that we saw take place at Lion's Place from happening again," said Kinew.

The 55+ low-income apartment complex was sold in December 2022 to an unnamed Alberta-based firm, prompting protests and leaving residents struggling to cover rent increases. At the time, the Manitoba Government said it would help Lions Place residents by subsidizing their rent for the next two years.

Kinew said the NDP's proposed legislation would create a government body to oversee and approve the sale of publicly-funded buildings.

"I think what was really upsetting for a lot of Manitobans, seniors in particular with the Lions Place situation, was the idea that buildings that had been created using public investment in the past, that had been run by not-for-profits, could all of a sudden be turned into an investment by people out of province," Kinew said.

He added that this could be a new responsibility of Manitoba's Residential Tenancies Branch.

Lamont spoke about how the pandemic exacerbated Manitoba's homelessness problem, leaving thousands out on the streets without support.

"Being homeless for that individual is an emergency, it's not something to be put off or handled another day," he said. "The act of becoming homeless for people is traumatic in itself. It can ruin their mental health."

Lamont said the Liberals would create "same-day housing" in Manitoba, aiming to end homelessness in the province by 2025.

He said the Manitoba Liberals would work with the federal government, the City of Winnipeg, Indigenous leaders, private landlords, and non-profits to find the 10,000 housing units needed for the program.

"When we talk about the causes of homelessness in Manitoba, a huge portion of that are the failures of the provincial government to do the bare minimum to care for its own citizens," said Lamont.

He added the Liberals would also crack down on rent hikes.

Kinew said the current approach to managing rental rates is broken.

"Rent control rules are so lax that landlords can charge big rent hikes with only a few months’ notice to tenants. And though tenants can challenge these increases, almost every single one has been approved since Heather Stefanson became premier."

PC Leader Heather Stefanson had a quiet day Friday, with no scheduled campaign appearances.

Manitobans go to the polls to elect a new provincial government on Oct. 3.