‘Still a critical issue’: Advocates rally for social housing dollars in next provincial budget

Attendees at a Manitoba Right to Housing Coalition rally hold signs outside the legislature on March 18, 2025. (Glenn Pismenny/CTV News Winnipeg)

Housing advocates took to the steps of the Manitoba legislature Tuesday, rallying the Kinew government to make good on a commitment from last year’s budget to build social housing units and its plan to end chronic homelessness.

The rally was organized by the Right to Housing Coalition in advance of the province’s new budget.

“We’re here today to remind the provincial government that housing is still a critical issue and we want to see some investments in this budget coming up,” said Shauna MacKinnon, spokesperson for the coalition.

The group also sent over 1,000 postcards to Premier Wab Kinew and thousands of emails to NDP MLAs calling for affordable housing investments in the 2025 budget.

In 2024, the coalition said 10,000 new social housing units were needed to address housing insecurity and homelessness across the province.

MacKinnon said the province has fallen behind building and maintaining its social housing stock, adding the province could realistically add 1,000 new units every year over 10 years to meet the need.

The province’s 2024 budget earmarked $116 million to build at least 350 units of social and affordable housing and repair 3,000 more.

In January, the Kinew government unveiled a blueprint aimed at ending chronic homelessness in the province by 2031—a plan that aimed to move Manitobans out of encampments and into social housing, including 300 new units the province said were purchased for the initiative.

On Tuesday, MacKinnon called on the province to commit to expanding its social housing stock further to meet the needs of low-income Manitobans while investing in the maintenance of existing units and supports needed for residents.

“There’s been a lot of talk about doing things, but we don’t see a lot of money invested, and that’s what we need to see when the budget is released.”

The new budget is set to be tabled on Thursday.