The Manitoba government has announced that it is supporting five community organizations that help low-income Manitobans facing homelessness and provide settlement supports for newcomers.

“Many Manitobans, including newcomers, are working hard to find stable housing and employment,” said Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine. “Our government is stepping up to help by partnering with community organizations that bring compassion and creativity to this work, preventing homelessness and helping newcomers build a strong future here in Manitoba.”

In 2024, the Manitoba government established a $20-million endowment fund with The Winnipeg Foundation, which generates annual revenue to invest in new initiatives that help Manitobans who receive Employment and Income Assistance (EIA). Through the fund, the province has nearly $900,000 to distribute in one-time grants to five community agencies with experience providing programs and services to EIA recipients. Those organizations are:

  • Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation aims to prevent homelessness in the Elmwood neighbourhood. The corporation helps people apply for emergency home repair grants, install energy efficient updates to lower utility bills, receive short-term forgivable loans for rent, mortgage and utility arrears, and resolve conflicts with landlords to prevent eviction.
  • Canadian Muslim Women’s Institute provides integration services to newcomers and refugees, particularly women, refugee claimants with work permits and non-permanent residents. Services include employment and English training, resume building, job search assistance, access to employer networks, tax filing assistance and money management workshops.
  • New Journey Housing assists newcomers to secure stable housing and transition from temporary shelters to permanent housing. The organization helps newcomers search for housing, fill rental applications, resolve conflicts with landlords, file taxes and apply for federal financial benefits.
  • Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council (Welcome Place) offers integration programs including a partnership with Legal Aid Manitoba that provides legal services to asylum seekers applying for refugee claims, as well as translation and interpretation services, legal document notarization and tax filing assistance.
  • Healthy Muslim Families provides newcomer and refugee integration services, pre-employment services, English as an Additional Language training, and help with taxes and government financial benefit applications.

The minister noted a multi-department government steering committee helped identify organizations that align with the fund’s mandate and key EIA enrolment trends, to ensure programming will help reduce barriers faced by participants and offer interventions that will help them take the first steps toward employment.