“How we respond as a society when someone is in need – that says a lot about who we are,” says Julianne Aitken, Siloam Mission’s new Interim CEO. “Housing is a human right, and everybody deserves housing that meets their needs.”
Siloam Mission is thrilled to welcome Julianne Aitken as our new Interim CEO, starting February 2025. Julianne steps into this role following the incredible leadership of Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud, who has joined the Premier’s office as Senior Advisor on Ending Chronic Homelessness.
Julianne has been part of the Siloam family since 2016, when she joined as Director of Services overseeing the shelter, drop in, kitchen, and Saul Sair Health Centre. Before joining Siloam, Julianne dedicated over a decade to child welfare, where she witnessed the profound effects of trauma, colonisation, poverty, and homelessness. Her desire to care for people in ways that truly make sense for them began in childhood and was shaped by her Mennonite upbringing. For Julianne, aligning actions with faith is important, and she sees being needs-focused as deeply connected to how Jesus lived.
At Siloam, Julianne has been instrumental in shaping our path forward. Her work has focused on standardising policies and processes, understanding the best approaches to working with challenging behaviours, and addressing the impact of substance use on mental health. During the pandemic, she led collaboration with the health sector, navigating the complexities of meeting people’s needs while ensuring safety. As Siloam’s vision grew, Julianne led the change management process and community consultation on becoming behaviour-based (ensuring that understanding trauma is at the root of substance use and behaviours) and housing-focused (ensuring that all programs in Siloam are aimed at providing housing).
This work has already made a tangible impact. Today, Siloam helps move someone into housing, on average, every two days. Julianne’s leadership, support, and guidance have been critical in enabling direct service staff to hit this milestone.
Siloam’s mission is to offer Christ’s compassionate love to all who are in need of support, healing, and recovery. Our vision is a Winnipeg without chronic homelessness. “I’m thrilled about the direction of Siloam,” she says. “Of course, we’ll always be willing to adapt as things change, but our immediate goal is always to get someone housed with the appropriate supports in place.”
Julianne is excited about the continued work in developing better intake and diversion processes, ensuring that every person who comes through the door receives the right level of care and services. About one-third of those accessing Siloam’s Drop In are still housed, and intervening early can prevent or reduce the trauma of homelessness. “If we want to end chronic homelessness, we need to intervene early and prevent the experience in the first place,” she says.
Looking ahead, Julianne is enthusiastic about Siloam’s Housing Strategy, which aims to create 700–1,000 new social housing units over the next decade. “One of the biggest challenges we face in helping people get housed is the availability of deeply affordable social housing – Siloam aims to play a part in meeting that need.”
Since the pandemic, collaboration in the sector has grown significantly. Julianne looks forward to continuing partnerships with other organizations and advocating for systemic change. “Homelessness is bigger than Siloam or even Winnipeg – it’s a result of decades of decisions, decisions around housing supply, mental health, substance use, and more.”
Reflecting on her journey, Julianne shares, “I believe in where we are and where we are going. I’m honoured and humbled to partner with you as donors, volunteers, and supporters. I am excited to be part of such an incredible team, vision, and movement within Winnipeg.”
Join us in welcoming Julianne as Siloam Mission’s new Interim CEO.
