U of M, U of W partner on major Canadian homeless study
The University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg have partnered together to conduct Canada’s largest-ever study on homelessness and mental illness, according to a recent U of M press release.
The Winnipeg at Home project has recruited more than 500 people who are homeless and living with a mental illness to participate in the project that is aimed at providing participants with stable, long-term housing throughout Winnipeg and its neighbours.
Toronto, Moncton, Vancouver and Montreal are also participating in the project.
The U of W’s Institute of Urban Studies and the U of M’s departments of psychiatry and community health sciences are the main research components.
“To my knowledge, this national project on homelessness and mental illness is the largest randomized controlled trial ever conducted in Canada,” says Jitender Sareen, director of research and anxiety services at the University of Manitoba, and co-investigator on the local project.
The four-year project will look to see if a stable housing intervention is effective within Canada.
Sareen adds, “What surprises people most is that being homeless and on the streets can cost more than sheltering someone and providing them with services and supports.”
City to sell Winnipeg Square parkade
City council’s downtown development committee voted Nov. 23 to sell Winnipeg Square parkade to Toronto’s Crown Realty Partners for $24 million as reported by the Winnipeg Free Press.
The parkade generates $1.8 million a year for the Winnipeg Parking Authority.
If city council approves the sale, the city will receive $23.6 million with $400,000 in brokerage fees being paid to realtor Shindico.
New police HQ plan one step closer
The mayor’s cabinet, known as the executive policy committee, gave its support this week to a city
plan to buy a Canada Post building downtown and turn it into the new police headquarters, as reported by CBC News.
City council will decide later this month whether to give final approval to the plan.
The City of Winnipeg has made a $30 million conditional offer on the Canada Post sorting plant located at 266 Graham Avenue. If given approval, the city has budgeted $105 million to renovate the property.
The Winnipeg Police have said their current location at 151 Prince Street is too small and in need of extensive repairs. The limestone exterior of the building is crumbling — so much in fact that the surrounding sidewalks have been covered with a wood shelter to protect people from falling pieces of the building exterior.
City officials recently said that refurbishing the Canada Post building would be more cost-effective than building a new headquarters or renovating the current one.
