Province spending $4M on security upgrades in Manitoba Housing units
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/01/2021 (1188 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The province is investing $4 million in security upgrades to 12 Manitoba Housing units in an attempt to decrease trespassing.
Approximately 100 people are housed in the 11 Winnipeg units and one in The Pas that will have new intercoms, cameras, alarm systems and card swipes installed by the end of March, Families Minister Rochelle Squires announced Friday.
“All Manitobans deserve to feel safe in their home, regardless of where they live, and we know these security investments certainly do play a role… whether it be trespassers or break-and-enters on their premises,” she said.
Squires said the funding announcement is the largest single annual investment in Manitoba Housing’s history.
The units, which include three buildings on Kennedy Street and two on Stadacona Street, were chosen based on what Squires called “a need for enhanced security” in the area. While she emphasized that there has been a 25 per cent overall decrease in security calls to Manitoba Housing over the last five years, she said petty trespassing has increased upwards of 80 per cent over the last five years.
In some cases, trespassers are just looking for a place to stay, she acknowledged, but added there is space available currently at Winnipeg homeless shelters and the province continues to monitor capacity.
Manitoba has invested $6.9 million in security-upgrade projects for affordable-housing units in the last three years and announced $31 million would be allocated to social-housing improvements last July.
Manitoba Housing owns and manages nearly 13,000 affordable-housing units in the province and provides services to 4,000 units managed by other organizations.
malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: malakabas_