Long-standing problems with Manitoba's public housing — including poor maintenance, crime and bureaucratic waste — will be addressed in a new, $84-million plan, Housing Minister Gord Mackintosh said Thursday.

The strategy, based on a government-commissioned report by KPMG,  includes more money for repairs, bulk purchasing for supplies such as stoves and fridges, and a new community-relations office for tenant and public inquiries.

The province's two housing corporations — the Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corp. and the Manitoba Housing Authority — will be merged at an estimated cost savings of $1 million per year.

A new security strategy was also unveiled, including a "clarified" eviction policy that will require eviction for "even one criminal offence that poses an immediate risk to tenants" or for drug-dealing or use, possession of unlawful firearms, prostitution or sexual abuse and child exploitation.

Tenants, property managers and superintendents will also receive training in crime prevention; tenants will receive new guidebooks and orientation sessions about crime prevention, rights and responsibilities, fire safety and pest prevention.
 
Public housing is not just a place to live, Mackintosh said, adding that the people who live in public housing will receive more supports to improve their quality of life, including:

• $600,000 for new playgrounds.
• $200,000 for life skills and literacy training.
• A new program offering $1,000 bursaries for nine student residents annually.

The province is also working on a 10-year housing strategy that will address rising property values, aging housing stock and the needs of an aging population, Mackintosh said.

That plan, to be developed with the Institute of Urban Studies at the University of Winnipeg, should be complete by the end of March 2009.