Manitoba housing conducting safety review

Firebugs, stabbings prompt housing minister to act

Manitoba housing residents are welcoming news that the provincial government is planning a comprehensive security review of all projects.

The review confirmed recently by Housing minister Gord Mackintosh comes on the heals of a number of high-profile incidents this year which have left many tenants fearing for their lives.

“We’ve been asking for help for safety issues for a long time now, years and years,” said Daniel, a resident in a Dufferin Avenue complex.

“We have drug dealers, prostitution, constant vandalism, my door was almost ripped off its hinges a few years ago. I’ve seen people hitting their children, I’ve seen people hitting each other. I’ve seen blood fly.

Daniel, declined to give his last name for fear of being kicked out of his home.

He says a review is long overdue.

“We’ve been asking for help for safety issues for a long time now, years and years,” said Daniel.

Although the government has yet to make an announcement on the initiative, Mackintosh confirmed the review at an unrelated press conference on Nov. 15.

In one recent high profile Manitoba Housing incident, an alleged bullying attack at Gilbert Park resulted in several young firebugs locking a disabled teen in a shed and lighting it on fire.

A more recent incident involved a senior’s complex in St. Boniface where an older woman was stabbed by another tenant.

“We don’t just want to respond to incidents like at Gilbert Park. We want to prevent these kinds of things from happening.”

The best way to do that, is to help organize tenants into tenant associations, says Molly Roulette who lives in one of the city’s toughest Manitoba Housing projects.

By organizing tenants, says Roulette, people can work together to document criminal behaviour in their building – providing the tools needed to remove problem tenants under the Safer Neighbourhoods Act.

Roulette is one of the most active tenant association presidents in Winnipeg, and says the Elgin tenant association has managed to reduce the number of problem tenants in the project from 15 to two.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that Manitoba Housing has more than 8,000 units in projects scattered across the city, Roulette says she knows of only six functioning tenant associations.

But action hasn’t been easy for Roulette, who says tenant associations are just as important for holding the authority’s own feet to the fire.

Last year, Roulette organized a potential rent strike to force the authority to implement on-site security at their project.

“If I wasn’t here to voice my concerns as president of the tenants association, nothing would get done,” said Roulette. “If they don’t listen to me, I get someone else to go push them. You have to know the ladder at Manitoba Housing from the caretaker on up.”

Security concerns aside, Roulette says there is also a long list of building repairs – such as leaking windows and brown tap water – that haven’t been looked after.

In the meantime, Daniel says he’s just trying to make a new life for himself and his daughter.

“I’m not one of those who is a problem, so why can’t we get some help? I want to make this a nice place to live. There’s no reason this can’t be a nice place to live. I’ll do my part, but the Province, the people running this program have to help, but they don’t care.”

Daniel said on-site security would be welcome, but claims the real problem lies with residents’ complaints rarely being taken seriously.

“The only time you get some action is when the police are involved. But make a complaint before calling the cops? Nothing happens, it’s lost in the paperwork shuffle and you are left with little choice,” said Daniel.

Mackintosh said the review will involve input from residents at the larger complexes.

“They live there, they have ideas, they know best,” said Mackintosh.

The review will be done before next year’s budget to make sure funding is available for any reforms, he said.

“It depends what we’re told, if they need more on-site security – these kinds of things need funding.”