Work has been completed on the first projects under the Residential Neighbourhood Beautification program, a provincial pilot program in a specific area in the Chalmers neighbourhood in Elmwood. This announcement was made by Local Government Minister Ron Lemieux.
“Under this program, homeowners and rental property owners can apply for small grants for exterior work on houses and apartment buildings, bringing new life to older buildings,” said Lemieux. “The improvements inspire a new pride in the neighbourhood and support area residents who have wanted to get outdoor work done on their homes but could not do it on their own.”
The province provided more than $20,000 for the first round of 14 projects, which had to be completed by Oct. 30. Eligible projects included:
• painting of exteriors;
• repair/replacement of sidewalks;
• cleaning exterior brick or stone;
• replacement of windows and doors;
• repair/replacement of architectural detail;
• work on exterior front steps, handrails and walkways; and
• landscaping including work with sod, shrubs, trees and plant beds.
Some of the projects undertaken to improve the street front include exterior painting, new fences, windows and doors, the removal of trees and shrubs and changing or replacing sidewalks.
“We finished our front sidewalk, took out some of the old garden boxes, used some stone to make a nice flower garden and replaced our plywood porch floor with composite decking,” said Robb Massey, one of the grant recipients. “Without this grant, we couldn’t have done these improvements and I feel like this has changed the look of the neighbourhood. Our neighbours even have plans for the spring.”
The province is providing more than $300,000 for grants under the two-year pilot project, which is being delivered by the Winnipeg Housing Rehabilitation Corporation.
“The Winnipeg Housing Rehabilitation Corporation is excited to be a part of the Residential Neighbourhoods Beautification grant working within the community of Chalmers,” said Charlene Thiessen, tenant resource co-ordinator with WHRC. “We’re thrilled to see the revitalization of Chalmers as the work has been completed and look forward to another season of change in 2012.”
Residents in the Chalmers neighbourhood bordered by Brazier Street to the west, Chalmers Avenue to the north, Gateway Road to the east and the Red River to the south are eligible to apply for the grants. Applications for the second intake of grants will be accepted in early 2012. Area residents with questions about the program can contact the Winnipeg Housing Rehabilitation Corporation at beautificationgrant@whrc.ca.
Funding for this program is provided under the Building Communities Initiative, a $10-million partnership between the province and the City of Winnipeg that focuses on upgrading local infrastructure and supporting exterior housing improvements in targeted areas of the city.
For more information on the program, visit www.gov.mb.ca/ia/programs/bldgcomm/.
