The Winnipeg Boldness Project uses social innovation tools to research and develop ideas to improve outcomes for young children in the Point Douglass community in Winnipeg’s North End.

In 2020, The Winnipeg Boldness Project led the development of the North End Housing Lab, an Indigenous-led project which focused on consulting with local community  stakeholders to identify the specific housing development needs of residents in Winnipeg’s North End. Key findings of the North End Housing Lab included the need for the immediate creation of additional affordable rental units. More specifically, we identified the need for larger affordable rental units (3+ bedrooms) to allow families to be re-united with children in the foster care system.

The creation of new affordable housing [building on] Mountain Avenue, and in specific the creation of two three-bedroom affordable housing units targeted for Indigenous women and their children participating in the Fearless Circle at the North End Women’s Centre, fits the community needs identified through the North End Housing Lab, and has the support of The Winnipeg Boldness Project.

Fearless R2W recently engaged in a federally funded innovation research project from the National Housing Strategy and generated a road map with recommendations to support Indigenous youth aging out of care in Winnipeg. These recommendations include establishing safe transitional housing for young people aging out of child welfare supported by Indigenous values informed kinship supports.

Fearless R2W as an organization has a set of values that were developed in 2015 that have guided us in our work, and we believe that this project reflects our belief that it is all of our responsibility to take care of all of the children all of the time. We are excited to provide any referrals and resources from our kinship initiatives and our circles of support to the inhabitants of this house including any related to reclaiming their Indigenous culture or Indigenous kinship practices.

We look forward to supporting these families and individuals involved in this project and are excited to make this a success and a welcoming home.

Purpose Construction is a proud social enterprise construction company offering a range of residential, commercial and property management services. We provide skilled trades training and long-term jobs to people with barriers to employment, pay living wages and offer a supportive work environment.

We look forward to creating this first Reside project in Winnipeg with Raising the Roof, as well as other projects to create much needed affordable housing in Winnipeg.

A key pillar of the work of End Homelessness Winnipeg is to increase affordable housing supply. End Homelessness Winnipeg predicts at least 1,340 new units of housing are needed in the next five years to respond to the needs of Winnipeggers. We know we need new and creative partnerships to see this housing built.

We welcome Raising the Roof’s entry into Winnipeg, brining their expertise from Ontario, to help Winnipeg achieve this target.

I am able to focus on achieving my goals in a realistic way. I live independently and know where to get supports. In this short amount of time, I have been able to achieve goals and set new ones. I look forward to what is next. Thank you.

[Purpose Construction] has been very helpful to me and my family, and it’s very helpful to the community, this job gives me comfort and gives me more sense of purpose. I was working at a very hard job site, but I’m thinking it’s helping the community, and it gave me more courage in my heart. I see Purpose Construction giving back to the community, and I need to be with a company like this”

Senay started working at Purpose Construction as a refugee and newcomer to Canada. Purpose was Senay’s first employer after fleeing religious persecution and war in Eretria. At Purpose, he was able to develop his English while learning trades-based skills and earning Canadian work experience. Today, Senay’s infectious good nature is a major asset to the Purpose Construction family. He is a skilled carpenter, managing large teams on commercial and residential jobs.