Housing & Income
We have two programs that provide supports with housing and income:
- The HOMES Program supports all women and gender-diverse people with homelessness, housing and income
- More than Four Walls is a Housing First program that supports all women and gender-diverse people and their families that are experiencing homelessness
If you would like support to find or keep housing, or if you need help with an income or Employment & Income Assistance issue, please contact:
HOMES Intake Line
Phone: (204) 774-8975 ext. 262
E-mail: [email protected]
Drop-in appointments may be possible, depending on our daily schedule.
Connecting The Circle
A gender-based strategy to end homelessness in Winnipeg.
H.O.M.E.S.
Our HOMES Program (Housing Options, Mentorship & Economic Security) supports all women and gender-diverse people with homelessness, housing, and income.
We are here to support folks in navigating evictions and homelessness by providing resources to external options and referrals emergency shelter options. We do not have emergency shelter or housing options here in our housing program.
Our goal is to help participants find and maintain stable housing and income by building positive partnerships between participants and service providers. We provide information, support and encouragement to navigate housing and income systems, and we help participants advocate for themselves where possible.
The HOMES Program offers support through a combination of staff and trained mentors. For information about how to become a HOMES Mentor, see our Mentorship Program page.
Housing Support
Finding and keeping good housing is a step-by-step process that takes lots of planning, research and follow-through. While the HOMES Program cannot guarantee how long this process will take, we can help you find and maintain housing in the following ways:
- Help you set goals and make plans to reach your goals.
- Help you apply for identification and other paperwork to complete housing applications.
- Fax or email completed housing applications to the correct places and help you follow up to check the status of your applications.
- Find updated lists of available housing in Winnipeg.
- Help you prepare to view apartments and talk to potential landlords.
- Help you arrange damage deposits and rent payments with EIA.
- Help you keep track of all the steps involved in finding a place to rent.
- Help you work through conflicts with your landlord by documenting the situation, helping you prepare to talk to your landlord, or get outside support from the Residential Tenancies Branch if necessary.
- Prevent evictions by helping you prepare for hearings and meetings related to evictions, attend hearings and meetings with you when possible.
- Help you ask for necessary repairs from your landlord.
- Help you find other community supports if necessary (financial counseling, health supports, etc).
Income Security Support
Navigating systems of financial support can be very challenging. Our program team can help you:
- Set goals and make plans to reach your goals
- Apply for Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) when necessary and look into additional benefits when possible (band assistance, Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, Canada Child Benefit, etc.)
- Prepare for meetings with your EIA worker and attend them with you when possible
- Understand information you receive from EIA
- Prepare for EIA appeals when necessary and attend them with you when possible
- Prepare basic budgets and financial plans
- Find other community supports if necessary
Participant Responsibilities
Here are some things you can do so that we can better support you:
- Treat WCWRC staff, volunteers and other participants with respect.
- Keep in touch with your HOMES Mentor regularly.
- Follow through on the plans you make with your HOMES Mentor.
- Fill out applications and forms to the best of your ability.
- Make the necessary phone calls that can help your case move forward depending on your situation (EIA worker, potential landlords, etc).
- Be prepared to go view suites, phone rental listings, make appointments and fill out rental applications at rental units.
More Than 4 Walls
The More Than Four Walls Housing First Program assists all women and gender-diverse people, and their families, who are currently experiencing homelessness to find and maintain permanent and stable housing. Once housed, we provide additional supports and services as needed based on the individual’s goals.
Who is eligible?
-
Women and Gender-Diverse people who have been experiencing homelessness for at least 6 months in the past year, or 18+ months in the past 3 years. This includes any type of homelessness, including couch surfing and living unsheltered.
-
Indigenous peoples who are currently homeless, regardless of how long they have experienced homelessness.
In line with the Housing First model, we believe that:
- Housing is a basic human right.
- Individuals experiencing homelessness should be moved into safe, permanent housing as soon as possible.
- Choice is important when finding housing.
- Housing should not depend on treatment status.
- Individuals are better able to deal with complex life challenges when they have a safe place to live.
- It is important to provide ongoing support for participants in order to maintain housing and increase self-sufficiency.
How do you apply?
- If you are fit under our eligibility criteria, make an appointment for a Sharing Conversation with Charlotte.
- Once you complete your Sharing Conversation with Charlotte, Naatamooskakowin staff will identify a program that:
- Matches what the person is looking for and
- Have a vacancy to start working with them
- Once matched with a Housing First Program that you want to work with, a “warm handoff” is arranged between you and the new program you are matched with.
- While you wait for a match, we can provide you with other resources.
To book a Sharing Conversation, please call Charlotte
204-774-8975 ext 237
For more information on Naatamooskakowin, please check out their website: https://endhomelessnesswinnipeg.ca/coordinated-access/
“[More Than 4 Walls] is set to be a leader and model, being an exemplar of a program that works imaginatively and intelligently for their participants.”