Expanding Efforts to Combat Rooming Houses in South Winnipeg

For the past 3.5 years I’ve worked with community members and focused much of my time on understanding and combatting illegal rooming houses in the communities of Ft Richmond and University Heights. These two communities ‘sandwich’ the University of Manitoba. One could say these communities are the ‘ground zero’ of illegal student rooming houses because of their proximity to the University of Manitoba.  Combatting illegal rooming houses is a complex issue. We’ve all learned a lot and have made tremendous strides in eliminating rooming houses and associated issues!  So much so that I’ve published a 42 page Councillors Report to the Community that captures the changes. There are a WIDE range of issues, challenges and solutions that are discussed in the report.

One of the KEY FACTORS in finding solutions was working with the area residents – we worked in partnership to ‘take back the neighbourhood’ and create stronger awareness and enforcement.

BEYOND Ft Richmond and University Heights

While nowhere near as concentrated, I receive calls about illegal rooming houses in the surrounding communities:

• Waverley Heights,
• Richmond West,
• Fairfield Park,
• Neighbourhoods of Bridgwater and
• South Pointe.

The issues are much the same, solutions will be similar but there are some different challenges in identifying and combatting because of the newer housing stock, and so many new families moving in daily (vs. an established neighbourhood where everyone knows everyone).

Invitation:

Please consider attending the Fort Richmond University Heights Neighbhourhood Association’s Annual General Meeting.

SEE DETAILS:  May 15th AGM

I’ve been working with area residents for 3+ years and tremendous insight will be presented and discussed on accomplishments and future initiatives. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel!

If there are any residents in these communities who are interested in discussing rooming houses, the challenges they present and solutions, please email me jlukes@shaw.ca. If there are enough folks we could have a group meeting to discuss further. I’ve learned a tremendous amount working with Ft Richmond and University Heights communities on this issue and know other communities can benefit.