Klein wants city-run, maintained ‘bridge’ space for homeless people

Mayoral candidate Kevin Klein wants the city to set up a 24-hour community space pilot project for homeless Winnipeggers.

Klein said the space — a building, piece of land or both — would provide washrooms, garbage-management facilities and on-site staff to assess visitors and direct them to housing or other supports over a one-year pilot project.

City council recently rejected a similar proposal for a managed encampment in Winnipeg — a motion that would have directed the public service to identify potential designated encampment sites with public washrooms and garbage facilities was struck down in June — but Klein said his plan differs because it would include more resources.

“I will pursue a time-limited, professionally managed community, as a bridge to housing and treatment,” he told reporters at his campaign office Thursday morning.

“Not a permanent tent city, but rather, a bridge to help those who are asking for help today.”

The project would be managed through an office of community safety and housing outcomes, paid for from the mayor’s budget, Klein said.

That office would work to bring together city departments and community outreach, he said, and would ideally have Marion Willis, the executive director of St. Boniface Street Links, at the helm.

“She would be perfect, because this work needs someone who has already been on the street, who’s already doing it, and someone who is having success, someone who is having success putting people into homes and getting them the help that they deserve,” he said.

Willis said the suggestion came as a surprise after Thursday’s announcement. She isn’t sure if she’d have the time to run an office for the mayor while continuing to lead Street Links.

“Am I the person to do that? I don’t know,” she said. “Would I be willing to do that? I can’t really say that right now. I’m as surprised as you.”

Willis attended Klein’s announcement Thursday, but said she’s not endorsing him or any other mayoral candidate.

However, she said Klein was the only mayoral candidate who has visited Street Links while campaigning. Willis spoke in favour of a managed encampment plan when it was put before council earlier this year.

“I want to see a different approach, and I want to see a city council that understands that we need to push the refresh button on some of these plans,” she said.

Klein pledged to open the office within 30 days of taking office. He did not offer a possible location for the site or say how many people he hoped to serve.

He accused Mayor Scott Gillingham of “pushing the problem from one community to the other,” and said the current system of dealing with homelessness is costing the city millions.

“I will not ask taxpayers for a blank cheque,” he said. “We will organize the city money already being spent on this crisis, keep housing and treatment as a provincial cost and continue any pilot only if it is cheaper and safer than leaving people on the street.”

The city has already discussed the possibility of a managed encampment site, and is finding success focusing on working with the province on a housing-first model instead, Gillingham said.

”We have debated the issue of a managed encampment several times here at council, it would require the province to to participate, to fund and to partner,” he said. “They have indicated clearly they don’t intend to, because their focus with us is on getting people out of encampments and into housing. The good news is that this work is showing progress.”

The province and the city have moved 270 people from encampments into housing with wraparound supports, Gillingham said, and the number of people counted in encampments has dropped to approximately 300 people this year, compared to more than 700 last year.

Klein acknowledged that the province’s model is working, but noted some people moved from encampments into housing have already returned to homelessness or other locations, and he “wants to stop that.”

Gillingham pointed to the position of senior adviser to homelessness and addiction , created by his office in 2023.

“I’m glad Kevin Klein’s going to follow my lead,” he said.

Last week, Klein pledged to establish a public safety task force that would have police working with community groups, business leaders and other stakeholders. He said Winnipeg Police Service Chief Devon Clunis would lead that task force.

Clunis told the Free Press afterwards that he was not endorsing any candidate.

Al Wiebe, a longtime advocate for the homeless, said while he was supportive of a managed encampment when the motion went to city council, he wasn’t sure if Klein’s idea would serve the same purpose, and was “skeptical” that either mayoral candidate would be able to make it happen.

“If it’s done right, it’s a great idea if you’re going to provide the necessary facilities, for sure,” said Wiebe. “But what’s going to happen is, they’re going to run out of money.”

Along with Gillingham and Klein, there are 10 other people running for mayor: Mike Vogiatzakis, Don Woodstock, Noah Redden, Mazher Alam, Chris Clacio, Tracey Drexler, Johnny Calderon, Joshua Pagdato, Umar Hayat and Brad Gross.

Election Day is Oct. 28.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca