Steinbach community safety report identifies top of mind issues for residents

A new safety report from the City of Steinbach is putting affordable housing and addiction in focus. Joseph Bernacki reports.

Steinbach resident Lisa Fast loves working and living in the community she grew up in. She currently works at Agape House—a shelter for people experiencing intimate partner violence.

She’s hopeful a new community safety report she helped write along with many other Steinbach stakeholders can make a real difference in her hometown.

“It’s a framework for local agencies, organizations, to come together and pretty much sit at one table and just say, like, ‘What can we do better for our community?’” Fast said, referring to the new Steinbach Community Safety and Well-Being Plan document.

Fast is currently the outreach and housing coordinator for Agape House. She said consultations were held for months, identifying the key concerns of Steinbach residents and business leaders.

One of those concerns - the need for more resources to address substance use and mental health issues.

“Especially when we’re talking about mental health and addictions, there’s definitely a stigma around those, you know, reaching out for the supports like that,” Fast said.

Charlene Kroeker, manager of Steinbach Community Outreach, said she hears this concern often while helping vulnerable populations on the job. She also contributed to the report.

Another concern she’s found is the scarcity of affordable housing in Steinbach.

“Being the only agency that is working right now in all of southeastern Manitoba with the unhoused community, I think it’s important we did have a voice in this,” Kroeker said.

Kroeker’s organization is currently developing a three-storey apartment building to address the need. Upon completion, it will be the second build to help vulnerable populations find an affordable home.

Steinbach Mayor Earl Funk said a report like this is critical for building the growing city.

“In a community like ours where people are looking to help their neighbour, I think that these are going to be the answers that we need for affordable housing to get people off the street and into housing, and then get that wraparound service,” Funk said.

The report also found more doctors are needed to increase capacity and reduce wait times in the community.

Funk said a new walk-in clinic will open in the coming months, bringing in four new doctors and an additional two new practitioners who recently started working in Steinbach.