City pilot could see derelict, vacant properties in Winnipeg developed into affordable homes

The City of Winnipeg is launching a pilot project that could see some derelict and vacant properties developed into affordable homes for people to buy.

The program could see some city-owned lots transferred to Manitoba Housing, with a goal of building or renovating homes on the lots with help from social enterprises, the city's manager of strategic planning, Jonathan Hildebrand, said last week.

The properties would then be sold to people leaving social housing, he said.

The pilot, which was approved by city council last month, will first focus on the North End's William Whyte area — a seven-by-nine-block neighbourhood where an estimated 10 per cent of properties are either empty, rubble or vacant.

A city-owned lot at 400 Pritchard Ave. has been selected as the first one in the pilot.

"We're going to see if the partnership can work and what we might need to do to fine-tune it and grow it," Hildebrand said.

"[If] we're able to prove the concept works … we'll continue to do it," he said, and "it won't just be limited to that one housing improvement zone."

He's optimistic the pilot will be successful, in part because the city has already worked with social enterprises, including Purpose Construction, he said.

Across from 400 Pritchard, the non-profit organization recently completed construction on its latest house.

The dark blue four-bedroom house sits on one of three lots the city sold to Purpose Construction for $1 each in the 18 months before the pilot, Purpose executive director Sheri Bailey said last week.

Founded in 2009, the social enterprise builds new homes, does renovations and offers a trades training program to people facing employment barriers.

On the other two lots Purpose Construction purchased from the city, on Magnus Avenue, it built houses that were sold to first-time homebuyers for 20 per cent less than their market value, Bailey said.

The purchasing families, who are either Canadian citizens or permanent residents and have lived in Winnipeg for at least 12 months, have committed to owning the properties for at least 10 years, she said.

"The main qualification is that there is a barrier keeping them from purchasing a home on their own," Bailey said in an email.