Municipality of Rhineland Council has written to Manitoba Housing expressing concerns over the resident clientele moving into the government housing complex in Plum Coulee.
"It's a senior housing unit and there's been some vacancies, and they (Manitoba Housing) is putting people there that have some special needs and situations, and they've been put in there without supports," explained Reeve Don Wiebe.
This has led to disruptions and other scenarios that has required the attention of law enforcement.
According to the Altona Police Service (APS), there's been gradual change in the resident clientele at the complex, who are non-local and appear to be more “transient” in nature. In a statement to PembinaValleyOnline, the department underscored the Municipality's concern about the lack of supports some of these clients require, noting further that they do not have access to transportation to get them to a larger community where these services are available.
In the last six months, APS members have responded to a number of incidents at the complex, and the frequency and nature of the calls has caught the attention of local residents. These calls for service include several assaults, mischief, disturbing the peace, thefts and uttering threats.
"This is not going to work in the long run."
All of this led to Council's decision to send a letter to Manitoba Housing expressing its belief that the department should be putting the necessary supports in place to go with the resident placements.
"This was intended to be a senior citizens home where supports are not necessarily factored in like that," said Wiebe. "We said, if you're doing this, this is not going to work in the long run, and you need to find supports to make it possible to have these people live there without community issues or community struggles with that."
The Altona Police Service noted that none of the above incidents have caused officers to feel there is a danger to the public, but did note that the frequency and type of calls have caught the attention of local residents.
Wiebe says he has since been in communication with a Manitoba Housing official who has confirmed Council's letter and assured him that it is being considered.
Statement from Manitoba Housing
In statement submitted to PembinaValleyOnline, a provincial spokesperson confirmed that, at one time, Maple Drive Manor was designated as 55+ housing. However, based on low demand, Manitoba Housing expanded access to offer this property as an option for families seeking housing as well. Additionally, they stated that Manitoba Housing works with tenants to connect them to supports and encourages local authorities to work with them to identify any challenges involving this property.