CMHA Manitoba and Winnipeg
Community Housing with Supports is a Housing First Service that works with people who have experienced chronic or episodic homelessness to find and keep housing of their choosing in the community.
Our staff use a holistic approach to identify participant needs and work with participants in collaboration with existing health and social service providers. Participants are supported by a team consisting of Rehabilitation Workers, a Housing Coordinator, an Occupational Therapist, and Peer Outreach Workers. The service aids participants to locate housing, establish their household, and maintain their housing with supportive services.
Referrals for Community Housing with Supports are completed through Doorways Centralized Intake.
If you are interested in finding out more about our services please call 204-775-6442 or visit http://mbwpg.cmha.ca/programs-services/community-housing-with-supports/.
CMHA Central
Located in Portage La Prairie Manitoba, CMHA Central offers a variety of supports related to housing needs.
Community Housing with Supports
The Community Housing with Supports (CHS) program helps individuals with mental health issues find safe, affordable, and decent housing in the community of their choice. This service is aimed at individuals who have a history of difficulty finding or keeping housing.
The goal of the CHS program is to provide necessary supports to choose, obtain, and maintain housing. This could involve hands-on assistance with things like negotiating with landlords, arranging rent payments, finding furniture, and skill teaching in the areas of budgeting, household maintenance, transportation, errands, nutrition, or interpersonal skills. Staff use a collaborative, goal-oriented approach that involves equal participation and a focus on personal recovery. As safe housing is acheived, we shift the focus to connecting with natural supports and engaging in the community through school, employment, volunteering, or recreation.
Participants in the Community Housing with Supports program may also have access an additional rental subsidy through the Portable Housing Benefit (PHB). Eligibility for the PHB includes:
- individuals must be enrolled on Employment & Income Assistance as a person with a mental health disability
- individuals must have an unstable or unaffordable housing situation that is interfering with their progress in recovery and positive participation in community
- individuals must remain engaged in CHS services while receiving the benefit
To apply for services, please arrange for an appointment with our Housing Coordinator by contacting us.
The CHS program also provides support to tenants living in transitional housing at Fisher Apartments & House of Hope.
Supportive Housing
Supportive Housing services are provided in designated apartment buildings in Portage la Prairie, MB. These services are meant to enhance the sense of community and well-being among tenants, help tenants maintain or improve their independence through support and skill teaching, and prevent eviction.
Designated sites:
- Stephens Apartments
- Oaktree Towers
- Fisher Apartments (eviction prevention services only)
Individual Support:
Supportive housing services are available to individual tenants who require assistance with daily activities like grocery shopping, errands, household maintenance, meal preparation, and attending medical appointments. Our staff utilize a strengths-based approach that makes use of existing skills and provides support to learn new skills. Staff and consumers work collaboratively to solve problems and identify long-term solutions to live independently. Support staff are experienced in providing assistance to individuals with mental health issues as well as individuals who are aging in place.
Group Support:
Group activities are provided on a regular basis at each site to promote socialization and provide opportunity for shared learning. These activities focus on skill development (e.g. budgeting, nutrition, conflict resolution), recreation, leisure, and socialization. Input from tenants is essential in planning activities, which often include holiday celebrations or summer events.
Eviction Prevention:
Supportive housing staff provide short-term case management for tenants that are at risk of eviction as a result of a mental health issue. We know that when intervention occurs early, eviction can usually be prevented. Eviction prevention services focus on identifying the root cause of the tenant-landlord issue and creating a concrete plan to solve the problem. This plan could include obtaining treatment for a mental illness, skill teaching and coaching, or referral to other community resources. Case management support is meant to be short-term, ending once a tenant’s risk for eviction has been reduced.
How to Apply:
Tenants are eligible for services if they reside in one of the buildings mentioned above. Referrals can be completed by a community service provider or by a tenant themselves.
Emergency Housing
CMHA Central Region operates three emergency suites in Portage la Prairie as part of our commitment to ensure nobody has to live without a home. Emergency suites are designed for short-term use to provide shelter when no other options are available. We work together with our community partners to identify individuals in need of shelter and provide them with short-term relief and support to find permanent housing.
Each emergency suite is designed for one individual or couple and contains a bed and private bathroom. Staying in an emergency suite is not the same as renting an apartment. We consider those staying in emergency suites our guests, and ask that as our guests, we ask that they agree to cooperate with the following rules:
- Alcohol, substance, or inhalant use is not allowed in the unit or on CMHA property
- In order to maintain a safe environment for tenants of the adjoining building, conduct or actions that are harmful, unsafe, or threatening to self or others will not be tolerated
- Visitors are not allowed in the suites. While we encourage connecting with friends, family, and other support services, please do so at a separate location
- For the safety of tenants, emergency suite guests may not enter the Fisher Apartment building or House of Hope apartment units
- To ensure your safety, CMHA staff and other authorities (e.g. RCMP, EMS) reserve the right to enter an emergency suites at any time without notice
- Please do not tamper with the locks, fire alarms, or smoke detectors
We charge $50 per night or $315 bi-weekly to stay in an emergency suite. This cost can often be covered by Employment and Income Assistance (when eligible). Individual exceptions can be made if circumstances require.
To inquire about emergency suite availability please contact our Housing Coordinator.
CMHA Interlake Eastern
The Portable Housing Benefit (PHB) is a rent supplement, accompanied by housing supports, for low-income individuals with a mental health disability who have an unstable housing situation that is interfering with their progress in treatment and/or positive participation in community life.
The Residential Care Program addresses the needs of individuals with serious and persistent psychiatric disorders who require up to 24 hour supervised support and assistance with activities of daily living through living with Residential Care Home Operators in the community.
The Canadian Mental Health Association – Interlake Region Supported Housing Program is based on the principles and practices of psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) which focuses on assisting individuals with serious and persistent mental illness to re-integrate into the community and to regain their independent living skills. Emphasis is on client choice and their involvement in the process.
For more information, visit interlakeeastern.cmha.ca or call 204-482-9723
CMHA Parkland
CMHA provides one-on-one support to those in need of housing in order to help individuals choose, obtain and keep suitable housing.
We offer housing within our apartment buildings, ECHO I and ECHO III in Dauphin, and ECHO II in Swan River. These units provide emergency, transitional, and affordable housing opportunities. A new unit, ECHO IV, is scheduled to be open Spring of 2018.
CMHA Thompson
The purpose of the Canadian Mental Health Association Residential Services Program is to provide housing support to clients in the Northern Health Region. Participants would link up with these services through our Psychosocial Rehabilitation Intake Worker . The emphasis of all of our housing programs are on providing support while focusing on the strengths of the individual – encouraging their use of personal, family and community based resources to maintain their optimal level of mental health; and to maintain or enhance their community living status.
We support individuals to gain the skills needed to lead satisfying and successful lives in the community; help clients access and secure a stable income; and provide the skills and support needed to ensure long term success in the housing of their choice. Our goal is to encourage our clients to take the first slow and difficult steps toward a more secure and independent lifestyle.
Through referrals and contacts, we also:
- Assist clients to acquire and enhance skills and supports.
- Assist clients to live as independently as possible.
- Provide employment related supports.
- Provide practical assistance and support regarding advocacy.
- Provide one-on-one support as required.
- Link clients to appropriate mental health, social and medical services.
- Assist in obtaining income benefits necessary to secure transitional or permanent housing in the community; and housing placement assistance.
- Participation in other CMHA programs is encouraged and referrals are made to other community programs.
We do not provide counseling, therapy, or treatment for mental illness, but we do provide referrals to other services you require.
Housing Facilities include:
- Transitional Housing
- Arrow’s Path (C.O.D.I. Program)
- Community Housing
If you have any questions and concerns please call our Housing Coordinator at
(204) 677-6057 or email: housing@cmhathompson.ca.