About Us

The Right to Housing Coalition is a group of individuals and organizations concerned about housing insecurity and homelessness experienced by low-income renters in Manitoba. We call on all levels of government to prioritize investments in social housing to ensure all low-income renters in Manitoba can access a home that is affordable, safe, secure, and culturally appropriate.

On this page: What we believe | Our vision, mission, and approach | How we began | Working Groups | Our Team | Supporting Organizations

The Right to Housing Coalition believes:

  • That all people have the right to housing.  
  • That it is a responsibility shared among all levels of government to respond with strong policy and action to ensure this right. The right to housing is guaranteed by the National Housing Strategy Act which was passed in June 2019.
  • That the best and proven way for this right to be fulfilled is through an adequate supply of social housing.

Our Vision

Housing that is affordable, safe, secure, in good condition and appropriate is realized for all.

How we operate

The Right to Housing Coalition is a volunteer-run group supported by individuals and organizations concerned about homelessness and housing insecurity experienced by low-income Manitobans.

The coalition mobilizes its supporters to call on all levels of government to prioritize investments in social housing to ensure all Manitobans can access a home that is affordable, safe, secure, and culturally appropriate.  

Social housing is owned by non-market housing providers and has rents set at less than 30% of household income in perpetuity.

Our Mission

To solve the ongoing housing crisis faced by low-income renters by securing major commitments from all levels of government to expand the supply of social housing with supports.

Our Approach

To bring people together to:

  • Initiate and synthesize research around housing-related issues faced by low-income renters.
  • Generate publicity and public support around evidence-based solutions to housing-related issues that impact low-income renters.
  • Mobilize the community to advocate to all levels of government to address the housing needs of low-income renters.

How the Right to Housing Coalition began

In 2005 concerned citizens came together to try to find a temporary use for the empty houses at Canadian Forces Kapyong Barracks. After learning about the critical shortage of housing for low-income renters throughout Winnipeg, the group expanded its mandate. In 2006 the Right to Housing Coalition was formed to speak out about the need for more social housing throughout Manitoba.

Since that time many individuals and organizations have become supporters of the coalition, adding their voice to the growing calls for all levels of government to expand the social housing supply in order to address housing insecurity and homelessness.

Working Groups

Each of our working groups focuses on a specific issue or level of government. We are always looking for new members and welcome your participation!

The Federal Working Group leads the Right to Housing Coalition’s advocacy aimed at the Government of Canada. The group’s activities are focused on supporting the efforts of the national Social Housing and Human Rights coalition, which is calling on the Government of Canada to invest in the protection and expansion of social housing across the country.

The Social Housing and Human Rights coalition was born out of the Social Housing and Human Rights conference that took place in Winnipeg in April 2023 and brought together over 100 housing researchers and advocates from across Canada.

The Provincial Working Group leads the Right to Housing Coalition’s advocacy aimed at the Manitoba government. The group’s activities are focused on promoting the five key pillars of the Coalition’s Social Housing Action Plan for Manitoba, which was developed in 2023 and has been endorsed by more than 90 organizations.

The pillars focus on expanding and preserving the supply of social housing with supports, strengthening rent regulations and tenant protections, and creating training and jobs for low-income people in the construction and maintenance of social housing.

The City Working group leads the Right to Housing Coalition’s advocacy aimed at the City of Winnipeg. The group is focused on ensuring that the municipal government understands that ‘Housing is City Business,’ and that our City uses the tools and resources at its disposal to ensure everyone in Winnipeg has a safe, stable home they can afford.

The group advocates for City support of new social housing, the protection of existing social and low-rent housing in Winnipeg, and sufficient city staffing and resources to support social housing development in the city.

The Seniors Working Group applies a seniors lens to the policy advocacy priorities of the Provincial Working Group to help draw attention to the needs of low-income seniors who rent in Manitoba.

The creation of the group was inspired by the Feb 2023 loss of the largest non-profit housing complex for low-income seniors in Manitoba – Lions Place – to a Real Estate Investment Trust. As a result, the group prioritizes advocating for government policies to protect and enhance the supply of social housing, particularly for low-income seniors.

The Gender-based Social Housing Working Group applies a gendered lens to the policy advocacy priorities of the Provincial Working Group to help draw attention to the needs of low-income women and gender-diverse people who rent in Manitoba.

The Residential Tenancies Act Working Group advocates to the Manitoba government to strengthen rent regulations and tenant protections for all renters.

The group’s activities are focused on promoting the fourth pillar of the Right to Housing Coalition’s Social Housing Action Plan for Manitoba, which calls for enhancing security of tenure by limiting exemptions to rent regulations, limiting above guideline rent increases, disallowing rent discounts, enhancing compensation for no-fault evictions, and ensuring evictions occur as a last resort.

To learn more or get involved with a working group:

Contact Us

Our Team

Right to Housing is voluntarily led by supporters who sit on our Steering Committee and chair our working groups:

  • Chair – Lindsey McBain
  • Treasurer – Christina Maes Nino
  • Federal Working Group chair – Shauna MacKinnon
  • Provincial Working Group chair – Kirsten Bernas
  • City Working Group chair – Yutaka Dirks
  • Seniors Working Group co-chair- Lynne Fernandez
  • Seniors Working Group co-chair – Erika Wiebe
  • RTA Working Group chair – Les Scott
  • Communications – Codi Guenther
  • Strategy – Christina Maes Nino
  • Supporter Engagement – Vacant

Supporting Organizations

  1. 1JustCity
  2. 5468796 Architecture
  3. Abilities Manitoba
  4. Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg
  5. Acorn Family Place
  6. Actions Nord-Sud contre la Pauvreté et pour le Développement Local (ANSPDL Inc.)
  7. Age and Opportunity
  8. Albert House Inc.
  9. Altered Minds Inc.
  10. Assiniboine Credit Union
  11. Aurora Family Therapy Centre
  12. Barber House
  13. Better Manitoba
  14. Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal
  15. Corporation (BNRC)
  16. BUILD
  17. Canada Sierra Leone Friendship Society
  18. Incorporated (CSLFS Inc.)
  19. Canada-Africa Relation Enterprises Incorporated (CARE INC.)
  20. Canadian Association for Retired Persons
  21. Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies
  22. Canadian Association of Retired Persons
  23. Canadian CED Network
  24. Canadian Centre for Housing Rights
  25. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – Manitoba
  26. Canadian Homeless Resources inc.
  27. Canadian Mental Health Association – Thompson
  28. CARP Winnipeg Manitoba Chapter #47
  29. CEDA
  30. Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba
  31. CFSC Quakers
  32. Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation
  33. Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada
  34. Council of Women Winnipeg
  35. Elmwood Community Resource Centre
  36. End Homelessness Winnipeg
  37. Food Matters Manitoba
  38. Fridays For Future Manitoba
  39. Green Party of Manitoba
  40. Harvest Manitoba
  41. Heartwood Healing Centre
  42. Hope Mennonite Church
  43. Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba
  44. Immigration Partnership Winnipeg
  45. Initiatives for Just Communities
  46. Innovative Life Options
  47. Jewish Child and Family Service
  48. John Howard Society of Manitoba
  49. Keetaskeenow Tribal Council (KTC)
  50. Klinic Community Health
  51. Ladco Company
  52. Latinas Manitoba Inc.
  1. Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre
  2. Main Street Project
  3. Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties
  4. Manitoba College of Social Workers
  5. Manitoba Federation of Labour
  6. Manitoba Harm Reduction Network
  7. Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association
  8. Manitoba Public Health Association
  9. Mennonite Central Committee
  10. Merchants Corner Inc.
  11. MIIC/Welcome Place
  12. Mosaic – Newcomer Family Resource Network
  13. Mount Carmel Clinic
  14. Native Clan Organization
  15. New Directions for Children, Youth, Adults and Families
  16. New Journey Housing
  17. North End Community Renewal Corporation
  18. North End Women’s Centre
  19. North Point Douglas Women’s Centre
  20. Number TEN Architectural Group
  21. Palaver Hut
  22. Poverty Awareness & Community Action
  23. Purpose Construction
  24. Rainbow Resource Centre
  25. Raven Ozhigaa Development
  26. Red Road Lodge
  27. Resource Assistance for Youth
  28. SAM Management
  29. SEED Winnipeg
  30. She-Unite
  31. Siloam Mission
  32. Social Planning Council of Winnipeg
  33. Spence Neighbourhood Association
  34. Spruce Woods Housing Co-op Ltd.
  35. St. Boniface Street Links
  36. Success Skills Centre
  37. Sun Certified Buidlers Coop Ltd.
  38. Sunshine House
  39. Sustainable Building Manitoba
  40. TeenStop
  41. The Elizabeth Fry Society of Manitoba
  42. Thrive Community Support Circle
  43. UFCW Local 832
  44. Universite de Saint-Boniface, School of Social Work
  45. University of Winnipeg Dept of Urban & Inner City Studies
  46. Victoria Lifeline
  47. West Broadway Community Organization
  48. West Central Women’s Resource Centre
  49. West End 24 Hour Safe Space
  50. Winnipeg Housing Rehabilitation Corporation
  51. Zappia Group Realty
  52. Zoongizi Ode Inc.

Take Action – Become a Supporter

It’s time for all levels of government to end the housing crisis.

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