Winnipeg hotel used to house 150 residents is getting a facelift | APTN News

Geraldine hro has called the McLaren home on and off for years my my door is broken in maybe once or twice a week I'm a woman I'm scared despite that Geraldine calls those that live here family she's one of 150 residents living in this old hotel turned into single dwelling homes now thanks to the Equal Housing Initiative this place will undergo Renovations for the next 2 years costing about 37.5 million million do no one will get evicted the renovations will happen one floor at a time the executive director says this approach allows for some stability in the tenants lives people that are dealing um uh with mental health with addiction with poverty it's a journey right and it's it's not a continue in One Direction it's a zigzaggy line James tower has lived here since 2011 the best part of the renovation for him they closed down the BLT Lounge downstairs and the vendor too you know at least half of the tenants are indigenous that's why a common area was vital to do traditional medicines if they want to smudge in the meantime other programs have started here every Thursday tenants and volunteers alike prepare a hot meal and package food hampers that get delivered to every resident in the building Michael Miner is a master's in Social Work student who did his placement here last summer he still comes to cook on his own time because he believes in the whole H istic approach used here I think that uh the most important thing working with people who are housing insecure or or don't have Dependable food sources is finding ways to uh meet all of their needs at once and it's programs like at the McLaren where they're making sure all of those pieces can come together while the inside will change a lot the outside not so much the McLaren hotel is a Heritage building so basically what you see now is what it'll still look like when Renovations are done but just a few steps over here these buildings will be torn down to build the transition housing that will be called recover Bridge uh they would have an option right next door because what we also learned from many people that live here is this is their home the dwellings will be more typical housing units ranging from Bachelor to one and two bedrooms both the McLaren and recover bridge should be completed by summer 2026 and will be staffed 24/7 TR Wheatley APN National News Winnipeg

Channel: APTN News

Views: 2,210

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Id: Ajgk7BDgzu4

Length: 2min 32sec (152 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 18 2024