About Us

The Brandon Homelessness Steering Committee was formed in response to the development of the first community plan. The community of Brandon was designated as a SCPI (Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative) eligible community at the outset of the Federal Government’s Homelessness Initiative in late 1999. In the fall of 2000, Brandon commenced the journey towards developing the first community plan with the preparation and submission of the Youth for Christ Urgent Need application to provide much needed transitional and supportive housing for high-risk youth. The background work undertaken to support and draft the Urgent Need application acted as a catalyst to spur service providers and stakeholders to form a Homelessness Steering Committee and embark on the process of drafting a community plan that provided the foundation for implementing homelessness and housing solutions along the continuum of needs.

The Homelessness Steering Committee meets on a regular basis and consists of eight members representing various organizations in Brandon.

The Homelessness Coordinator was hired in January 2004 and is expected to function until the end of the National Homelessness Initiative. The project objectives of the Homelessness Coordinator position include:

1. Identify the extent of issues surrounding homelessness and those at-risk of becoming homeless through effective collection of relevant data.

2. Build local awareness, ownership and community capacity to address the issue of homelessness.

3. Build strategies among agencies to affect policy that improves the life of the homeless person and to create a coordinated program and funding response.

4. Support the development and enhancement of services available in Brandon.

5. Promote the range of interventions necessary to stabilize the living arrangements of homeless individuals and families.

Our Mission

• To ensure that no individuals are involuntarily on the street, by ensuring that sufficient shelters and adequate support systems are available.

• To reduce significantly the number and duration of stay of individuals requiring emergency shelters, transitional and supportive housing.

• To help individuals move from homelessness through to self-sufficiency.

• To help the community strengthen its capacity to address the needs of its homeless population through effective communication and the ongoing elimination of continuum gaps.

• To improve the social, health, and economic well-being of the community’s homeless.

Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation
410 9th Street
Brandon, Manitoba
R7A 4A9

Phone: (204) 729-0121
Fax: (204) 729-0101
E-mail: b.foley@brandon.ca

Homelessness Steering Committee Contacts

Brent White, Chair,
571-8335
Brandon Regional Health Authority

Sponsoring Organization:
Marty Snelling,
729 2495
General Manager of Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation (NRC)

John Scott, Member
726-6336
Family Services and Housing

Dwayne Dyck, Member
727-1252,
Director, Youth for Christ

Dave McGregor, Member
726-6030
Chief Executive Officer of Child and Family Services of Western Manitoba

Gail Cullen, Member
727-1407
Director, Brandon Friendship Centre

Glen Kruck Member
727-5425,
Director, Canadian Mental Health Association

Marla Somersall, Member
726-0758,
Executive Director, Samaritan House Ministries

Chris Reid, Member
578-4826,
Housing Resource Worker, BRHA, 7th Street Health Access Centre,

Velma McCombie, Ex-officio Member
726-7781
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Jason Kurchaba, Ex-officio Member
726-7772
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada