Public Policy

From Knowledge to Action Forum

New! (November 27/08) The final report of the From Knowledge to Action forum is now available. Click here to access the report.

From Knowledge To Action: A community forum on the housing crisis facing low-income people with mental health issues living in Winnipeg.

On Thursday June 5th, the Canadian Mental Health Association (Winnipeg Region), the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society, and Legal Aid Manitoba hosted From Knowledge to Action, a one day community forum. The purpose of the forum was to address the housing crisis facing low-income people with mental health issues living in Winnipeg, a crisis evidenced by long waiting lists for social housing and the many people resorting to inadequate housing, such as rooming houses and residential hotels. The forum had both community and legal components. The morning session focused on community organization and gave forum participants the opportunity to discuss strategies for improving the current housing situation. The afternoon session focused on testing the merits of potential legal challenges directed at the inadequate shelter allowance and the failure of Winnipeg’s zoning regime to reasonably accommodate the needs of low income people with mental health issues.

The information backgrounder that was prepared for the forum's participants can be accessed here.

Presenters included:

Sid Frankel – Professor, Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba
Susan Mulligan – Research Associate, University of Winnipeg Institute of Urban Studies
Shereese Qually – Associate, Taylor McCaffrey LLP
Byron Williams – Director, Public Interest Law Centre

The forum participants included community organizations, consumers,
academics, and legal practitioners.

Legal Aid Manitoba’s Public Interest Law Centre will be compiling a report of the forum’s recommendations. This will assist the forum’s sponsors with planning our next steps in the struggle for improving housing for low income people with mental health issues in Winnipeg. The report, when completed, will be available here.

Presentations from the forum’s presenters are now available below:

Shereese Qually	PowerPoint	PDF
Sid Frankel	PowerPoint	PDF
Susan Mulligan		PDF

Housing Forum Photos


Chris Summerville - Manitoba Schizophrenia Society

Housing Forum Participants

Sid Frankel - Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba

Shereese Qually - Associate, Taylor McCaffrey LLP

The Planning Committee - From left to right: Susan Knowles, Bob MacFadyen, Nicole Chammartin,
Chris Summerville, Rachel Gotthilf, and Byron Williams

Organizations Present at Forum

• Aboriginal Health & Wellness Centre
• Age and Opportunity Inc.
• Bannerman Avenue Housing
• Brandon University, Psychiatric Nursing
• Canadian Mental Health Association
• College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba
• Community Therapy Services
• Correctional Services Canada
• Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Service
• Family Services and Housing, Manitoba Government
• Friends Housing
• Healthy Child Manitoba
• HSC Psychealth Centre
• Independent Living Resource Centre
• Institute for Urban Studies
• Legal Aid Manitoba
• Lutheran Urban Ministry
• Luxton Resident's Association
• Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, Inc.
• Main Street Project
• Manitoba Center for Health Information/ Health Services Research, Population Health
• Manitoba Housing & Renewal Corp.
• Manitoba Housing Authority
• Manitoba Ombudsman
• Manitoba Schizophrenia Society
• Manitoba Society of Seniors
• Micah House
• Manitoba League for Persons with Disabilities/ People First
• Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba
• Mother of Red Nations Women's Council of Manitoba Inc.
• MSC-Psychealth Centre
• Pregnancy & Family Support Services Inc.
• Provincial Council of Women
• Public Interest Law Centre
• Red Road Lodge
• Resource Assistance for Youth
• Sage House
• Sara Riel Inc.
• Selkirk Mental Health Centre
• Social Planning Council
• Spence Neighbourhood Association
• Taylor McCaffrey LLP
• The Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg, Inc.
• University of Manitoba – Professors from Social Work, Occupational Therapy, and Psychology
• University of Manitoba Law Students/ community-university research alliance project led by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities
• West Central Women's Resource Centre
• Winnipeg Harvest
• Winnipeg Regional Health Authority / Community Mental Health Program/ Mental Health Housing Program
• Women's Health Clinic