Main Street Project gets bulk of $1.5M in funds for Winnipeg homeless shelters

Three shelters that help homeless people in Winnipeg will share $1.5-million in provincial funding, with two-thirds of it going to Main Street Project.

Main Street Project, Siloam Mission and the Salvation Army will get moneyto help cover costs associated withoperating overnight shelters and daytime drop-ins.

Main Street Project will receive $726,000 to continue running the isolation space on Sargent Avenue for people who have or are suspected to have COVID-19 and have nowhere else to go. The space was set up in a vacant Manitoba Housing building in April.

Main Street Project will get another $228,000 for overnight shelter beds and $54,000 for a new daytime drop-in program.

The organization developed the drop-in based on input from clients during the pandemic, said a provincial news release issuedThursday. It's intended to help people looking for more stable housing, community services and addictions treatment.

Because so many public spaces are inaccessible due to the pandemic, Main Street Project has seen an increased demand for its daytime drop in centre, said Adrienne Dudek, director of supportive and transitional housing for Main Street Project.

"This new funding recognizes that with capacity issues that we needed more support," she said.

The province also is givingSiloam Mission $150,000 to help operate 50 overnight shelter beds.

"In such uncertain times, this funding will allow us to keep beds open in our new Buhler Centre shelter expansion and ensure safe nights for those who have nowhere else to go," Siloam CEO Jim Bell said in a statement.

Between all of its programs, Bell said Siloam has about 150 beds in total. About80 to 90 of those are in use on any given night, he said.

Heading into the winter months, theyknow that demand will increase, he said.

The Salvation Army, which also provides short-term housing to those in need, will receive $360,000amid pandemic-related financial challenges.

The Manitoba government previously committed to adding 142 beds to shelters in the province to deal with an expected rise in demand.