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End Homelessness Winnipeg is deeply concerned by media reports that the RCMP spied on and monitored Indigenous leaders and activists. The surveillance of First Nations, Métis and Inuit leaders raises important questions about how governments and institutions respond to people who are speaking out about rights, land, and justice.
Indigenous peoples advocate for our communities, our lands, and our inherent rights. This advocacy is a vital part of democratic society and reflects generations of leadership rooted in responsibility to community and future generations. When Indigenous voices calling for justice are treated as potential security threats, it risks reinforcing a long history of mistrust between institutions and Indigenous peoples.
Across Canada, First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples remain significantly overrepresented among those experiencing homelessness. Here in Winnipeg 80% of those without housing are Indigenous. This reality is not accidental. It is the result of colonization, displacement from land, and policies that have disrupted families and our communities over generations.
Addressing homelessness requires governments and institutions to build trust and work in genuine partnership with Indigenous communities. That means listening to Indigenous leadership, respecting Indigenous rights, and supporting Indigenous-led solutions that address the root causes of housing instability.
As Winnipeg continues working toward ending homelessness, it is essential that responses to social challenges centre dignity, rights, and collaboration. Strong communities are built when people feel safe to speak, advocate, and work together toward solutions.
Thank you to CBC News and reporter Ryan Cooke for this investigative reporting. Read the full article here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/rcmp-intelligence-files-indigenous-leaders-activists-9.7140524
Winnipeg, MB — End Homelessness Winnipeg welcomes the Government of Manitoba’s coordinated investments in housing, supports, health, and affordability in Budget 2026, while emphasizing that additional scale and sustained action will be required to meaningfully reduce homelessness.
Budget 2026 adds $12.8 million in new grant funding expecting to support the creation of 215 additional homes. It also includes $8.2 million for tent-to-housing supports and the continued expansion of transitional housing with 24/7 wraparound supports.
“Manitoba is taking important steps to stabilize people who are already in crisis,” said Jennifer Moore Rattray, CEO of End Homelessness Winnipeg. “Investments in supportive housing, outreach, and system coordination are essential and will improve outcomes for many individuals. At the same time, sustained and scaled efforts will be critical to ensure these gains translate into measurable reductions in homelessness as quickly as possible.”
The Province is expanding affordability and income supports, including a $28.6 million increase to Rent Assist and disability supports, enhancements to Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) for families, and increased renter tax credits. Additional investments in Community Living disABILITY Services are a positive step in supporting Manitobans living with disabilities, who remain at heightened risk of housing instability.
The budget strengthens system flow through targeted measures, including 32 alternate level of care (ALC) beds at Siloam Mission and the discharge coordination with the Downtown Community Safety Partnership, which helps connect individuals leaving hospital to housing and supports. Other key pathways to homelessness include the Child Welfare system and the Justice system.
The Manitoba 2026 budget introduces measures to reduce the cost of living for low-income Manitobans. These efforts support accessible public transit, including free bus service for eligible riders, and expand affordable early learning and childcare, with targeted supports to help lowest-income families access care at reduced or no cost.
End Homelessness Winnipeg also notes the planned review of the Mental Health Act and changes to the Residential Tenancies framework. These signal important opportunities to strengthen protections and better align systems with the realities faced by people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Ensuring these reforms lead to tangible improvements will be an important next step, and their implementation will require close attention.
However, the scale of need remains significant. In 2025, more than 7,500 individuals were recorded in Winnipeg’s homelessness response system, including more than 4,000 experiencing chronic or repeated homelessness. The addition of 215 new social and affordable units, while meaningful, highlights the ongoing gap between current investments and overall need.
End Homelessness Winnipeg emphasizes that rent supports remain one of the most effective tools for reducing homelessness. Programs such as the Canada–Manitoba Housing Benefit (CMHB) enable individuals to access housing in the private market and are critical for both prevention and housing stability. While CMHB remains funded for current recipients, it has been closed to new applicants for a year, limiting access for many individuals seeking to exit homelessness. Reopening access to CMHB would represent a significant opportunity to build on current progress.
“As we know, ending homelessness requires coordinated action across housing, income supports, and services,” Moore Rattray added. “We will continue working with government and partners to ensure investments are aligned with the scale of need and lead to measurable reductions in homelessness.”
End Homelessness Winnipeg is calling for continued focus on:
- Expanding rent supports, including reopening CMHB
- Accelerating deeply affordable and supportive housing development
- Aligning income supports with the cost of housing
- Protecting and expanding low-cost housing stock
- Supporting Indigenous-led organizations to lead solutions and drive system change grounded in community knowledge and lived experience
End Homelessness Winnipeg remains committed to working alongside governments, Indigenous partners, community partners, the private sector, and the broader community to advance a coordinated, data-informed response focused on prevention, housing stability, and lasting system change so all Winnipeggers can live in safety and dignity.
About End Homelessness Winnipeg
End Homelessness Winnipeg coordinates systems, policies, and investments to prevent and end homelessness in Winnipeg and works to create a world where everyone has a home and the supports they need to belong.
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Media Contact:
Oraye St. Franklyn
Manager, Communications and Community Relations
End Homelessness Winnipeg
ofranklyn@endhomelessnesswinnipeg.ca
(431) 323-8896
January 30, 2026
WINNIPEG, MB — End Homelessness Winnipeg welcomes the City of Winnipeg’s newly announced pilot initiative to expand affordable housing through partnerships with social enterprises and community developers. The initiative reflects a practical shift toward unlocking underused assets to address the city’s worsening housing shortage.
This development follows End Homelessness Winnipeg’s January 15, 2026 public statement calling on governments to act decisively on derelict and vacant buildings as part of Winnipeg’s housing and homelessness response. In that statement, End Homelessness Winnipeg warned that continued reliance on enforcement and crisis response leaves Winnipeg trapped in a cycle of danger and loss, where derelict and abandoned buildings repeatedly become sites of preventable fires, displacement, and risk, and called on authorities to shift toward conversion, rehabilitation, and reintegration of these properties into the housing system as a matter of public safety and housing stability.
Jennifer Moore Rattray, Chief Executive Officer of End Homelessness Winnipeg, said,
“We commend the City for advancing a model that brings social enterprises and community partners into housing development. What matters now is speed. These units must move quickly from concept to construction to occupancy. The current conditions are too fragile for slow timelines and delayed delivery,” she continued, “Every derelict building that remains untouched is a missed chance to stabilize someone’s life. Governments must align planning approvals, financing, remediation, and development processes so these properties can be brought into use faster and at scale. Housing is the foundation of safety, health, and dignity. Without it, every other response remains temporary.”
While a number of affordable units have been approved by the City of Winnipeg, an important first step, End Homelessness Winnipeg continues to see the greatest need in transitional and supportive housing for people experiencing or exiting homelessness. The 2024 Winnipeg Street Census recorded 2,469 people experiencing homelessness, up from 1,256 in 2022, representing an increase of approximately 96 percent in just two years.
At the same time, the loss of existing low-cost housing through closures, fires, and buildings being taken offline continues to reduce the options available to people with the fewest choices. Together, these conditions highlight the need for steady delivery, clear pathways into stable housing, and sustained investment in rent-geared-to-income housing models combined with the supports people need to rebuild stability and maintain housing over time.
End Homelessness Winnipeg is calling on all orders of government to treat derelict and abandoned buildings as immediate housing assets rather than long-term redevelopment projects, supported by fast-tracked regulatory approvals and timely remediation funding. In the face of ongoing housing pressure, End Homelessness Winnipeg emphasizes that the conversion of vacant and derelict buildings remains one of the most direct and practical pathways to increasing housing supply and expanding access to safe, stable housing for people in need.
End Homelessness Winnipeg remains committed to working with municipal, provincial, and federal partners, non-profit organizations, social enterprises, the private sector, direct service staff, and community stakeholders to ensure that unused spaces are transformed into permanent homes that restore stability, dignity, and safety.
About End Homelessness Winnipeg
End Homelessness Winnipeg coordinates systems, policies, and investments to prevent and end homelessness in Winnipeg and works to create a world where everyone has a home and the supports they need to belong.
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Media Contact
Oraye St. Franklyn
Manager Communications & Community Relations
End Homelessness Winnipeg
Phone: 431-323-8896
END HOMELESSNESS WINNIPEG APPOINTS JENNIFER MOORE RATTRAY AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Winnipeg, MB — January 29, 2026 — End Homelessness Winnipeg (EHW) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jennifer Moore Rattray, as its new Chief Executive Officer, following a comprehensive search process.
Jennifer is a nationally respected public sector leader, proud citizen of Peepeekisis Cree Nation, and a recognized champion of systems change, equity, and reconciliation. She brings extensive leadership experience across government, education, and the non-profit sector.
Nationally, Jennifer served as Executive Director of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and as Ministerial Special Representative to Canada’s Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations focused on advancing the creation of a National Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudsperson.
As an Assistant Deputy Minister with the Province of Manitoba, Jennifer worked to challenge systemic inequities and improve outcomes for marginalized people. At The University of Winnipeg, she served for more than a decade as Associate Vice-President, leading efforts to expand access to post-secondary education for Indigenous, newcomer, and low-income students.
“Jennifer is an exceptional leader with a deep understanding of the systems that contribute to homelessness and the courage to help transform them,” said Samantha Brown, Board Chair of End Homelessness Winnipeg. “Her values, experience, and record of results make her uniquely suited to lead End Homelessness Winnipeg at this critical time.”
Jennifer began her career as an award-winning journalist, holding governments and public institutions to account and strengthening public understanding of complex social issues.
“I am honoured to step into this role with End Homelessness Winnipeg,” said Jennifer Moore Rattray. “Ending homelessness requires partnership, accountability, and a shared commitment to dignity. I look forward to working alongside community and government partners to advance solutions that create meaningful change for our unsheltered relatives. This work is urgent, there is a humanitarian crisis on our streets every day, and together we can and must do better.”
Jennifer is a Trudeau Foundation Mentor and serves on several national boards and regional councils. She was also a founding board member of End Homelessness Winnipeg. She was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond and Jubilee Medals in recognition of her leadership and contributions.
About End Homelessness Winnipeg
End Homelessness Winnipeg coordinates systems, policies, and investments to prevent and end homelessness in Winnipeg and works to create a world where everyone has a home and the supports they need to belong.
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Media Contact
Oraye St. Franklyn
Manager Communications & Community Relations
End Homelessness Winnipeg
Phone: 431-323-8896
Email: ofranklyn@endhomelessnesswinnipeg.ca