WINNIPEG, MANITOBA--(Marketwired - Feb. 6, 2015) - The Governments of Canada and Manitoba, along with the City of Winnipeg and Hargrave Holdings Ltd., today officially opened Marie Rose Place. The six-storey, 40-suite, long-term apartment community will provide support for immigrant and refugee women with low-to-moderate income transitioning from Holy Names House of Peace (HNHP) or elsewhere in the community.
The Marie Rose Place design includes 36 two-bedroom units and four one-bedroom units. Four apartments are fully accessible for residents with disabilities. Each home is furnished and features in-suite washer/dryer, dishwasher, and microwave.
The facility, located on Edmonton Street in downtown Winnipeg, includes multi-purpose space, storage space, small commercial office space on the main level and residential suites on the five floors above. As an example of a multi-cultural home, the first residents at Marie Rose Place represent 13 different nationalities and cultural backgrounds.
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"New Canadians face many challenges, including finding safe, affordable homes where they can start to put down roots, make friends and adapt to their new country. Marie-Rose Place offers a beautiful setting where immigrants and refugees will be able to find a supportive community and a great start as they build new lives." - Honourable Kerri Irvin-Ross, Minister of Manitoba Housing and Community Development.
"It is gratifying to see this newly constructed housing complex in Winnipeg. These new units are a wonderful example of what can be achieved when we work together to develop more affordable housing. Our Government is dedicated to helping those in need, which is why we are proud to have invested in Marie Rose Place." - Lawrence Toet, Member of Parliament for Elmwood-Transcona, on behalf of the Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State for Social Development.
"One of the most important parts of ensuring that newcomers to Winnipeg thrive is through the provision of affordable housing. Marie-Rose Place will provide a comfortable and secure place where families can grow within their new community. The City of Winnipeg is proud to administer the Homelessness Partnering Strategy.".- Mike Pagtakhan, Deputy Mayor, City of Winnipeg.
"Marie Rose Place is a truly unique project and is the result of a partnership of the Federal, Provincial, City Governments with Hargrave Holdings Ltd. Our focus is to provide a secure environment for the children and mothers who are from 13 different countries and are now making Winnipeg their new home." - Robert J. Dick, CEO, Hargrave Holdings Ltd.
Associated Links
• Homelessness Partnering Strategy
Backgrounder
Homelessness Partnering Strategy
The Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) is a unique, community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness by providing direct support and funding to 61 designated communities in all provinces and territories, as well as to Aboriginal, rural and remote communities across Canada, to help them address homelessness.
Economic Action Plan 2013 renewed the HPS with nearly $600 million in total funding over five years, ending in March 2019, using a Housing First approach.
Until recently, the most common way to deal with homelessness has been a "crisis-based" model-not just in Canada, but in many developed countries. This model involves relying heavily on shelters and other emergency interventions. Typically, individuals must first participate in a series of treatments and demonstrate sobriety before they are offered housing. This approach has been costly and not effective in the long term.
Without stable housing, it is much more difficult to participate in treatment programs and manage mental and physical health issues. This leads to high costs for emergency housing, hospitalization, shelters, prisons and a host of other crisis services.
Housing First, on the other hand, involves ensuring individuals have immediate housing before providing the necessary supports to help them stabilize their lives. Experiences in other countries have demonstrated that this approach shows great promise.
Investment in Affordable Housing
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