December 23, 2021
First Supportive Recovery-Housing Units in Rural and Northern Manitoba now Accepting Tenants
– – –Westman Youth for Christ Inc. and Men Are Part of the Solution Inc. Offering 21 New Supportive Recovery-Housing Units: Gordon
Two supportive recovery-housing projects in Thompson and Brandon are now open and accepting tenants, Mental Health, Wellness and Recovery Minister Audrey Gordon announced today.
“These new supportive recovery-housing units will provide a stable place to live for those completing addictions treatment and transitioning into their next phase of recovery,” said Gordon. “A supportive environment is crucial in an individual’s recovery journey and meeting the need for more supportive recovery housing across Manitoba will help fill gaps in the province’s need for substance-use and addiction services. I am pleased to announce Men Are Part of the Solution Inc. and Westman Youth for Christ Inc. are now open and accepting tenants in their new supportive recovery-housing locations.”
Westman Youth for Christ Inc. has developed nine new supportive recovery-housing units in Brandon with an investment of nearly $90,000 provided by the Manitoba government. They are dedicated to serving young people with social, physical, employment, health and well-being and spiritual supports. The organization also supports young people and their families to respond to challenging situations.
“The Common Spaces program for youth working to hold onto their recovery was born from our experience in serving among homeless youth in Westman,” said Dwayne Dyck, executive director, Westman Youth for Christ. “As the agency providing both Housing First for Youth as well as our own Uturn programs for youth experiencing homelessness, we’ve known the frustration of watching young people struggle in recovery without the specialized supports and safer housing many of them required. This partnership between Common Spaces and Shared Health will build on our established local investments and provide the level of support young people need to thrive."
Men Are Part of the Solution Inc. (MAPS) based in Thompson is now offering an additional 12 supportive housing-recovery units for women. The additional $402,000 from the province has allowed MAPS to expand its existing location, Phoenix House, to include women’s units which offer:
- a self-contained apartment or bedroom in a group living space with shared living and kitchen spaces;
- basic supportive counselling and case management;
- service navigation and referrals to community resources;
- assistance developing daily living skills to attain greater stability and independence; and
- support to acquire skills to gain employment, further education or contribute to the community.
"The Phoenix House for Women addresses a significant need in our region for transitional housing for women with in-house programming that will provide needed supports to our clients to help them on their journey to recovery, including achieving their personal goals, whether it is reunification with their family, furthering their education or entering the workforce,” said Oswald Sawh, president, MAPS. “With an existing program-delivery model that has resulted in an over 90 per cent success rate for our Phoenix House for Men, this funding from the province that has assisted in the creation of the Phoenix House for Women will make a real difference in the lives of many of our northern families."
Recommendations from the VIRGO report and the Illicit Drug Task Force report identify the need to add supportive recovery-housing units to help meet demand for the service.
These are the first supportive recovery-housing units in rural and northern Manitoba and will significantly increase access to services in these regions. The minister noted studies show supportive recovery housing is an effective option for those in need of alcohol and drug-free housing accommodations during their recovery journey.
The Manitoba government has created a total of 100 new supportive recovery-housing beds since 2019 including:
- the development of 70 beds with Siloam Mission, Riverwood Church Community Inc. and Tamarack Recovery Centre Inc. in Winnipeg;
- 12 units with Men Are Part of the Solution Inc., based in Thompson and targeting women in the northern region;
- nine units with Brandon and Area Youth for Christ; and
- nine units with the Community Health and Housing Association Westman Region Inc. for the Brandon region.
Funding for these projects was provided through the Canada-Manitoba Home and Community Care and Mental Health and Addictions Services Funding Agreement.
For more information on Manitoba’s mental health and addictions strategy, visit www.gov.mb.ca/health/mha/strategy.html.
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