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U of M to offer homesharing program to students
Program could be available by next year
NEWS
Colton McKillop, staff The U of M is planning to offer a homesharing program to students in need of housing.
The program, called Winnipeg Homesharing, would pair students with older homeowners who need help with household chores in exchange for reduced rent. It may be implemented as soon as next year.
UMSU president Brendan Scott hoped the program could alleviate students’ problems finding housing.
“[Student housing] has been a reoccurring issue, and the cost of being a student is constantly going up,” he said.
“I’ve heard stories of […] eight students living in one house together just because they want to make it affordable.”
In surveys conducted by UMSU, numerous students have raised housing as an important issue, and more recent surveys asking about homesharing specifically found “many students very interested in the program.”
Scott said two new apartment buildings near U of M “somewhat address the student housing concern” by providing additional housing, but said the high rent is “not feasible for many students.”
“So [this program] is a great opportunity to address the housing concerns.”
Schools such as the University of Toronto, Ryerson University and York University have also recently tested similar programs, with participants reporting positive experiences.
The program is primarily aimed at international students and domestic students from outside Winnipeg.
According to Scott, the program will have “extensive screening for both people looking for housing and the people offering housing.”
“There’s an extensive matchmaking system that’s looking at the location of the house and the proximity to the university,” he said.
The program’s screening will also match participants according to personal compatibility and skills at particular tasks needed by home owners, such as dishwashing.
Scott said the program would monitor the relationship between renters and homeowners to help resolve any issues that might come up between participants and that renters would be in “direct contact with the people running the program.”
“If there is a problem, people running the program are going to step in right away and figure out whatever the best [solution] is, because obviously there are so many [problems] that could arise,” he explained.
Scott argued students would be more likely to encounter problems with finding roommates on their own through websites like Kijiji.
“You don’t know what you’re getting into there but you do know what you’re getting into here, in that these are people that have been vetted and there’s a system in place [with] people that are actively looking over the relationship,” he said.
He pointed out that under this program, renters would have someone to bring grievances to if issues arose and that mediators could help find solutions, including locating new living arrangements.
“If you were to go and find a roommate by yourself, you might be in a bit of a tough situation in which you’re on your own if things go sour with your
staff Marina Djurdjevic / graphic /
roommate,” he argued.
According to Scott, one additional hurdle the program is facing due to COVID-19 is the reluctance of some to move in with new people during the pandemic.
Nevertheless, Scott said UMSU is currently working on informing students that this program is available.
Scott said since the program would offer one-year leases and it’s difficult for students to move out in the middle of the semester, the program, “is probably something that a lot of students will be looking for over the course of the summer.”
news@themanitoban.com
Pilot program to guarantee rent for at-risk women
Jubilee Fund to launch program, first of its kind in Canada
NEWS
Cam Cannon, staff In May 2022, at-risk women — those seeking to leave abusive situations who can no longer stay in shelters — will be eligible to participate in a pilot program that would guarantee their rent for a year.
The Jubilee Fund (JF), an organization that describes itself as a “charitable ethical investment fund,” is spearheading the program.
JF provides loan guarantees, loans and bridge financing for non-profit organizations that work against poverty.
According to JF fund development manager Monica Dueck, the program came about through seeing a need for lease guarantors for students and at-risk women in her personal life.
“We realized a gap was there for what started initially as students and at-risk women,” she said.
“Through further exploration we realized that the need for at-risk women was so great that if we were going to do this, we would need to start with one demographic at a time and build on that moving forward.”
The program would see JF acting as a co-signer on leases for at-risk women, covering rent if participants are unable to. JF plans to take in between 10 to 40 women during the pilot project but hopes to expand the program in the future. The program can be accessed either through referral from partner organizations such as the Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters or by directly contacting JF through its website.
“As far we can tell, there is no other program like this in Canada,” said Dueck.
“It’s one gap that hasn’t been looked at,” she said.
“Although it may seem like a pretty simple thing that people should be able to perhaps go to a family member to guarantee their rent or [go to] a friend, that’s not the case for at-risk women.”
At-risk women often experience isolation from their friends and family for a variety of reasons.
“It’s a way for them to gain their independence,” Dueck said. “It’s giving them their power back, to be honest.
“It’s empowering them to rebuild their life on their terms. We’re just co-signing. That’s all we’re doing. They get to pick where they want to live. We’re just there to be a friend.” The program would also come with some requirements including proof of income, character references and reporting budgets.
However, Dueck cautioned that the program is currently still being designed.
Arts Student Body Council president Fardeen Zareef called the initiative “wonderful.”
“We all know how much of a crisis there is in the city with a lack of affordable housing options,” he said.
“It’s a welcome change for our province and it’s wonderful to acknowledge the fact that Manitobans will be the first to get access to [such a program].”
According to a CBC report, the COVID-19 pandemic has seen a spike in intimate partner violence.
— Monica Dueck, Jubilee Fund fund development manager
Those experiencing intimate partner violence can reach out to the Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters’ 24/7 crisis line at 1-877-977-0007.
Students emphasize research amid faculty strike
Students Supporting UMFA organizes research, instruction talks with faculty
RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY
Michael Campbell, staff Since the UMFA strike began on Nov. 2, students have stepped up to provide support for their peers and organize demonstrations in support of UMFA. One student group, Students Supporting UMFA (SSUMFA), has gained attention for its activism. To get students and faculty involved, SSUMFA is hosting teach-ins with striking faculty members. According to Olivia Macdonald Mager, a SSUMFA organizer, these research talks offer students a valuable perspective on the ongoing labour dispute during the temporary suspension of courses.
The purpose of the teach-ins is to connect a faculty member’s area of expertise to the labour dispute. In this way, faculty members can continue to support teaching and learning while abiding by the conditions of the strike.
As a student leader, Macdonald Mager felt a duty to take on responsibility during the strike. She is the president of the University of Manitoba history students’ association, which works alongside the Arts Student Body Council and the University of Manitoba Students’ Union to provide support to students.
“I think that a lot of students were looking to me for answers,” Macdonald Mager said.
The strike has forced student leaders to pick up the slack. They quickly became responsible for sharing information, and now, even hosting learning opportunities.
Macdonald Mager recalls the uncertainty surrounding the beginning of the strike. She noticed that as the strike deadline grew nearer and there was silence from both the university and the union, tensions among students grew higher.
“The entire Monday [there] was a lot of texting back and forth and emailing and time [spent] to sort of allay a lot of fears,” Macdonald Mager said.
“And to the extent that you can with the platforms that we currently have. If we were on campus, that would be one thing because I could go to the lecture halls and say, ‘This is what’s happening.’ But I only have a certain number of emails and contacts.”
Teach-ins bridge the communication gap between faculty and students. Macdonald Mager said faculty members are excited to be able to interact with students despite the strike. “There’s also an aspect of educating students that […] the strike is not simply about one thing,” Macdonald Mager said.
“It’s not simply about wages […] There are a diversity of reasons why this strike is important, […] and the different impacts on history, gender [studies], labour studies and Indigenous studies.”
For some, like David Camfield, an associate professor in the labour studies program, or Julia Smith, an assistant professor in the labour studies program, the connection between their research and current strike is apparent. Camfield gave a talk on Nov. 11 and Smith gave her talk on Nov. 15. For others, the connection between a professor’s research and the current strike requires more explanation.
Adele Perry, director of the Centre for Human Rights Research and distinguished professor in the department of history, plans to relate the commemoration of social movements and recent challenges of colonial commemoration to the current strike in her Nov. 17 teach-in. Likewise, Sean Carleton, assistant professor in the departments of history and Native studies, hopes to historicize the current strike with examples from Winnipeg’s labour history in his teach-in scheduled for Nov. 18.
The first teach-in occurred on Nov. 8 and featured Niigaan Sinclair, acting department head of Native studies. Sinclair discussed how the department continues to struggle with recruiting and retaining faculty members — owing in part to the working conditions at the University of Manitoba. Sinclair was joined by David Parent, an assistant professor in the department, to offer his perspective as a recently hired staff member.
The idea to host teach-ins, allowing students and faculty to continue to connect over important ideas and research, goes back to the 2016 strike. At that time, students and faculty could meet in person to continue their discussions. This year, the teach-ins have been hosted virtually thus far and plans for research talks on the picket line have been dashed by recent inclement weather.
Currently, SSUMFA has teach-ins tentatively scheduled until Nov. 24.
“We’re hoping for the best,” Macdonald Mager said.
“If the strike ends over the weekend, then [the remaining talks] will be cancelled.”
