Despite efforts, homelessness is growing

It’s often said — particularly in the context of addiction and the long-revered 12-step recovery process — that the first step toward a solution is admitting there’s a problem.

When it comes to the issue of homelessness in Winnipeg and other major urban centres, perhaps a useful second step in formulating a realistic strategy is coming to grips with the reality this isn’t a problem that can be “solved.” Despite lofty political promises and diligent ongoing ground-level efforts by dedicated and passionate individuals and organizations, the simple truth of the matter is the number of unhoused people in Winnipeg continues to grow.

According to the most recent data released by the aspirationally named advocacy group End Homelessness Winnipeg (EHW), the number of people living without stable housing in this city rose to 8,248 in March, an increase of 104 from February’s figure. Of those, more than half — 4,463 in total — fall into the category of chronic homelessness, meaning they were unhoused for at least six months of the past year or have experienced repeated episodes of homelessness over several years.

The word employed by EHW executive director Jennifer Rattray to describe the current situation is “staggering,” indicating a crisis whose magnitude outstrips the current capabilities of the multi-layered homelessness response system.

“We all need to be alarmed,” said Rattray, who described a “desperate” need for the creation of more affordable and/or supportive housing. “We can get really good at other types of interventions, at trying to prevent additional homelessness … but what we’re doing is not keeping up with the crisis.”

The organization’s data are drawn from the By-Name List, an ongoing count of individuals who have either accessed the services of or made contact with homeless-serving agencies in the past 90 days. Figures are accessed through the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System, a comprehensive nationwide data-collection resource available to communities across Canada.

And in the case of Winnipeg and, more broadly, Manitoba, what the numbers demonstrate is that the boldly stated ambitions at every layer of government remain unmet.

In January 2025, the provincial NDP unveiled its Your Way Home strategy, the goal of which is to “end chronic homelessness” within two terms of government — meaning, at latest, by 2031. At the civic level, the Indigenous-led EHW organization has for more than a decade pursued a similar goal and is currently following a five-year strategic plan that is heavy on collaborative intentions and focused on “setting new standards to support the strength of a community where everyone belongs.”

While some progress is being made — the province reports it has renovated and restored more than 2,100 affordable housing units since 2023 and another 1,700 are currently being developed, and Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham has touted the city’s contribution to funding for more than 2,600 affordable or rent-controlled units — the grim realities underlying chronic homelessness persist.

Expanding the number of available and affordable homes is a baseline necessity, but the root-cause issues — specifically, addiction and mental-health challenges — that propel many individuals into homelessness are also the reason a significant number remain unwilling or unable to accept the assistance being offered.

As governments and agencies redouble their commitments to addressing homelessness in our communities, their practical efforts at housing creation will be tempered by the reality that confronting those root causes in a truly impactful way remains frustratingly beyond their reach.

The hard work should, and will, continue. But sadly, as the crisis continues to deepen, a simple truth is revealed: governments that pledge to “end” homelessness are either deluding themselves or making promises they know they cannot keep.