A Winnipeg without chronic homelessness is only possible with available, affordable, and appropriate housing. With only 3 social housing units for every 20 people in need, Winnipeg is critically short of affordable housing. Siloam’s Housing Strategy aims to play a part in meeting that need by creating 700-1000 social housing units over the next decade. The start of that strategy is a 33-unit building on Roblin Boulevard.
After purchasing the building in February, our next step was to get the building ready for tenants – which was made possible by the generous support of our community. We were incredibly fortunate to have a lot of the furnishings for the suites donated by IKEA, so each person moving in had everything they needed to make their new home a home.
“The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for many people, so we’re always looking for opportunities to partner with organizations like Siloam Mission to create welcoming living spaces for people who need it the most,” says Jennifer Allen, Market Manager, IKEA Winnipeg. “With the current affordability and housing crisis, it’s more important than ever for the IKEA Winnipeg team to support people in our communities to access better homes and a better life, which is a human right.”
For the excited new residents, being able to customize and make their space comfortable is critical – it’s often the small, subtle touches like furniture, artwork, or plants that can turn four walls into a home.
In a similar way, both cleanliness and the building’s upkeep can profoundly impact someone’s wellbeing, which is why we deeply appreciate the Hutterite colonies – Oak Bluff, Barickman, Silverwinds, and Crystal Spring – collaborating to support Siloam in deep cleaning to get the building ready for move in. Their work has made a wonderful difference for the residents.
Siloam made sure to connect with the community surrounding the Roblin facility.
“I met with the condo owners next door, and started calling the churches and organizations nearby,” said Margot Ross, Senior Development Manager at Siloam Mission. “The relationships we’ve built in the area are still going strong today.”
When we hosted our open house, hundreds of neighbours stopped by and welcomed the residents. Many let us know they were excited that the building was being used to house people who needed it most.
“The residents here love it,” said Monica Ballantyne, the housing support worker at the Roblin facility. “We’ve built a wonderful little community here and it’s so amazing to be able to help people in their forever homes. Even something as small as the jingle of their keys brings a smile to their faces.”
Moving into the Roblin facility is the start of Siloam’s housing journey and the start of a new home for many residents. We are all so incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make this touching story a reality.
