Ottawa earmarks $1 billion for housing, mental health in Winnipeg

Ottawa is allocating over $1 billion to address housing and mental health issues in Winnipeg, as outlined in the federal government's 2026 budget. Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit Winnipeg on Friday to announce the funding alongside a mental health and addictions centre. This investment is part of a nationwide strategy to combat homelessness, with the federal government partnering with the Manitoba government to create the conditions necessary to end homelessness in the city.

The budget details a $800 million capital commitment from Ottawa to construct 2,000 new transitional and supportive housing units, while Manitoba will cover the operational costs. The Winnipeg centre will follow a model used in Toronto, combining acute and outpatient care with permanent supportive and transitional housing along with wraparound services.

Premier Wab Kinew, Mayor Scott Gillingham, and Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada will participate in Friday's event. The provincial government aims to end chronic homelessness by 2031, having already found housing for 249 people living in homeless encampments as of late July 2025.