By Trevor Greyeyes
End Homelessness Winnipeg released new data on April 13, 2026, showing that homelessness in the province is increasing, not declining.
This comes 16 months after the Manitoba government announced, “Your Way Home,” a plan to end chronic homelessness.
The government’s own words state on their website that “There should be no chronic homelessness in a rich country like Canada.” (https://www.gov.mb.ca/hah/homelessness.html)
Terra Indigena requested data from the province on how many people were housed through the initial 30-day initiative, how many remain housed, and how success is being measured.
These were the questions sent to Bernadette Smith, Minister of Housing, Addictions, and Homelessness:
I’m following up on the January 14, 2025 announcement of a 30-day plan to move 700 Manitobans out of encampments, outlined in the news release “Manitoba Government Releases Your Way Home: Manitoba’s Plan to End Chronic Homelessness.”
Could you provide:
How many people were housed through the 30-day initiative?
How many of those individuals remain housed today?
How is the province currently measuring success of the plan?
How does the province reconcile rising homelessness figures (End Homelessness Winnipeg, April 13, 2026: 8,248 total / 4,463 chronic) with its stated goal?
What has changed in the province’s approach over the past 16 months?
As of today, the province hasn’t responded.
And look at the numbers again there are 8,248 people homeless with about 80% Indigenous and out of that population 4,463 are considered chronically homeless.
And no doubt it is a challenging issue because they took on something bigger than they could easily deliver.
There are issues in homelessness that relate to the fundamental nature of how this society operates from the monetization of housing to employment and to addictions.
It’s easy to see why there are no simple solutions. However, is it safe to say that the province’s plan is not working in the face of the enormity of the issue.
