Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham reported that the number of people living in encampments has been cut in half compared to last year, from over 700 in 100 encampments to 245 in 72 encampments. The city's new protocol has led to 141 encampments being cleared since June, with support and housing options offered to those who have to leave. However, local businesses are still experiencing issues with crime and damage, with one shop owner describing the area as "very scary". The province is also working on transitional housing, having moved 267 people into such units since last year, with an 85% success rate of keeping them housed.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-05,
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Winnipeg’s Standing Policy Committee will receive a report next week outlining the city response to homelessness, specifically its encampment distance guidelines.
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Committee → receive → homelessness
The areas with the most included Point Douglas with 19 encampments, and Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry with 17.
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areas → include → 17
The numbers are still concerning for many in the community, but city officials say it’s a step in the right direction.
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it → concern → direction
“The number of people living in encampments this time this year compared to this time last year has been cut in half,” said Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham.
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Gillingham → live → half
As of June, Winnipeg’s new encampment distance protocol has led to 141 encampments being cleared, according to the report.
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encampments → lead → report
The city offers supports and housing options to those having to leave encampments, but one local shop says the bylaw is just moving these individuals to their doorstep.
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bylaw → offer → doorstep
“You shut down an encampment, where are they supposed to go?
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they → shut → encampment
There’s not places for them to be so they just end up in our storefronts,” explained Just Like New to You Thrift Store President Susan Lockhart.
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they → ’ → Lockhart
The shop is located on Portage Avenue, with Lockhart saying the issue of crime is the worst it’s ever been.
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it → locate → crime
She describes damage to the business being the norm, and a severe beating across the street just this week.
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damage → describe → street
“It was in broad daylight and there were five people just smashing another person,” says Lockhart.
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Lockhart → be → person
“Our handyman who does some help with us, he had his car torched in the back lane.
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car → do → lane
The mayor admitting that there isn’t the stock right now to support those exiting homelessness, but says Winnipeg is collaborating with the province to ensure everyone has somewhere to go.
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everyone → admit → somewhere
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“The biggest chokepoint is that there’s just not enough housing at this moment so the city continues to work hard to get more housing built,” said Mayor Gillingham.
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Gillingham → get → moment
“We’ve made progress, there’s more work to do.”
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We → make → progress
As for the provincial efforts, Manitoba says it’s moved 267 people into transitional housing since beginning it’s Your Way Home strategy at the beginning of last year.
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it → say → year
85 per cent of those that have entered transitional housing are still housed.
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that → enter → housing
On Friday, the province touting some of its success at a press conference at one of its downtown core housing locations which features 118 of the transitional units.
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which → tout → units
N’Dinawemak is an Indigenous-led organization that’s providing 24-hour on-site supports for those living there.
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that → lead → those
“We have three shifts across the board so we run 24 hours,” says N’Dinawemak Senior Director Nicholas Candaele.
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Candaele → have → board
“If someone has an issue at midnight for example, they have someone they can instantly go to whether that be someone for case management, whether they need a meal, whatever it might be.”
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it → have → meal
2025 was a record setting year for naloxone being administered in Winnipeg, happening 4,900 times.
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2025 → set → Winnipeg
According to the report released by the city, naloxone had to be administered over 4,000 times in the first half of 2026 alone, on track to smash the recently set record.
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naloxone → accord → record
Housing and Addictions Minister Bernadette Smith stresses the connection between homelessness and the addictions crisis.
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Smith → stress → homelessness
Smith believes transitional housing is a way to recognize that connection and work towards solutions.
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housing → believe → solutions
“We know that substance use is based in trauma.
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use → know → trauma
If we can help folks move from their trauma into a space where they can have some coping skills, some tools in their toolbelts, that if things are happening in their life they’re not turning to substances.”
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they → help → substances
Smith pointed to Manitoba’s first supervised consumption site which opened last month as a way people are getting connected to services and housing.
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people → point → services
The minister provided no specifics but said the province would be providing quarterly updates on the site.
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province → provide → site
