At its annual general meeting last week, Central Community Homes (CCH) reflected on the successes and challenges of the past year while also sharing optimism for the years ahead.
The organization oversees 90 social housing units in Winkler and this fall broke ground on an apartment complex at the corner of Main St. and North Railway Ave. that will add 28 more affordable housing units to its roster.
They partner with the Central Station Community Centre in managing those properties and providing support for the tenants who call them home, and with Community Friends Inc., a group of local businesses and residents who collectively own the buildings both Central Station and The Bunker youth ministry are in, allowing them to focus on their community programs rather than worrying about raising funds for rent or mortgages.
CCH’s role in this partnership is to “provide the capital for the affordable social housing stock: the bricks and mortar,” board chair James Friesen explained.
Central Station staff then work to help “some of our most vulnerable community members to find, get, and keep housing so that they can advance their lives and build stronger relationships and connections in the community.
“We use the ‘housing first’ approach model,” Friesen said, “which says that if you provide individuals and families with housing first, then some of the other components, the challenges in that person’s or that family’s life can be addressed better, as opposed to saying, ‘Well, clean up your act first, then we’ll give you housing.’”
In recent years, Central Station project manager Brad Adrian has headed up plans to revitalize every one of CCH’s holdings, turning the aging buildings into welcoming, modern homes.
They’re down to the final nine units, and expect to have those completed by next summer, Adrian reported.
“Our goal is to make them blend into the community … and reduce the stigma that’s often attached to those houses,” he said, explaining that includes a refresh to the outside of the buildings as well as improvements inside.
“When you look at some of the pictures of the homes, it’s pretty evident to see how significant the physical changes are,” noted Anita Wiebe, executive director of Central Station. These improvements have impacted tenants in countless ways. “There’s improved mental health, which has all sorts of other implications as well—it impacts families, relationships, it creates a sense of stability, potential for employment, all sorts of things.
“There’s also a pride of ownership. If your house looks [run down] the motivation to clean is going to be less because, really, no matter how hard you clean, there’s still going to be holes in the wall … but when we’re able to put them in environments [that have been refreshed] they are far more likely to be able to keep them that way.”
While a renovated apartment or house doesn’t magically fix the other problems families may be facing, it does help, Wiebe said, and Central Station’s housing program staff are there to assist families with their other challenges.
“That is where our staff has the opportunity to come alongside our tenants … offering supports,” she said, explaining that might include equipping them with the knowledge and skills to maintain their homes or manage their finances. “Sometimes it’s just having someone there with you, encouraging you, helping make sense of things. It can make the difference between it being a successful endeavour or not.”
Community ownership, support integral to success
Community support remains key to CCH’s success, Friesen stressed, be it through financial contributions, in-kind donations, partnerships on renovation projects, or the dedicated group of volunteers who have stepped up to serve on the board and lead the charge on the agency’s projects.
“We know the community is generous,” he said, “and we certainly use that as leverage with our government contacts” when it comes to seeking out additional funding sources.
Looking to the future, Friesen shared that the $1 million shortfall CCH original anticipated having to fill with community donations to pay for the North Railway project has shrunk to closer to half a million dollars.
“So it’s moving in a good direction,” he said. “We’re going sharpen up those numbers, and we hope to launch something more official out to the community in the next couple of months.”
Friesen is confident Winkler area donors will come through for this project. He noted community ownership of the work of both Central Station and CCH is integral to its ongoing success.
“Truly successful communities are defined as ones where all residents enjoy a life that is free from stigma and where barriers are addressed. This is our challenge to the community. We need an all-of-the-community approach to help define this city as a place where everyone is accepted and supported, no matter what place in life we may find ourselves.”
