Scathing report into sale of Winnipeg seniors' home 'slanderous,' says head of Lions Housing Centres

The head of a non-profit housing organization says none of the researchers behind a scathing report into its sale of a former residential complex for seniors reached out to his organization for their side of the story.

A report released Wednesday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says the sale of Lions Place, a 287-unit building in downtown Winnipeg, to a private Alberta firm last year represented a major loss of affordable housing for seniors and amounted to "organizational elder neglect and abuse," saying the sale was "reflective of a broader problem of mistreatment of older adults more generally."

The report also called for "an immediate public inquiry, investigation and/or audit" into the spending of Lions Club of Winnipeg and management of Lions Housing Centres, which operates the non-profit organization's housing and care facilities.

Gilles Verrier, Lions Housing's executive director, says the report is "slanderous" and defames the Lions Club of Winnipeg organization.

"The sad part is that nobody spoke to us about this. We were blindsided by this," he told CBC Thursday.

The CCPA report's authors cited multiple sources for its findings, including scholarly research, media coverage and in-person interviews with current and former tenants, family members, and former Lions Housing staff.

Laura Funk, a co-author of the report, confirmed to CBC on Thursday that the authors did not reach out to Lions Housing Centres to participate in the report, but they did review what the organization said about the sale in the media and to tenants.

The research behind the report aimed to focus on Lions Place residents and staff, Funk said.

Rents too low to maintain building: LHC

Lions Place opened on Portage Avenue in 1983 with federal government funding (an operating agreement that later transitioned to the province). It was sold to the privately owned Mainstreet Equity Corporation in early 2023 and rebranded as Residences at Portage Commons.

At that point, the Manitoba government provided $1.2 million in subsidies over two years to Mainstreet so residents wouldn't face rent increases, but that doesn't mean Mainstreet can't apply to the Residential Tenancies Branch for increases in the future.

The CCPA report accuses Lions Housing of "an overwhelming failure of their mission and values," saying the organization failed to find alternatives to the sale, such as other ways to bring in revenue, partnering with other organizations, or finding acceptable a non-profit buyer.

But Verrier says that wasn't for a lack of trying, as the Lions Club invested $3.6 million in repairs at Lions Place and subsidized rents for three years. But low rents and vacant suites meant the Lions Club of Winnipeg couldn't afford to keep the building, he said.

"The non-profit organizations that toured the facility did not put in a bid — they didn't even submit a bid," he said.

"When [Lions] phoned them and asked them why they weren't bidding, they said, 'Well, your rents are too low and we'll be in the same boat as you will be.'"

Verrier also cited data from Statistics Canada's 2021 census, which showed Winnipeg tied with three other cities — Toronto, St. John's and Calgary — for the second-lowest proportion of people aged 85 and over living in its downtown area.

"Seniors are not moving downtown, that's a fact," he said.

"Seniors in Winnipeg are scared to go. We had 60 empty suites in that building we couldn't fill because we were seniors-only."

'Bring us solutions'

Verrier says selling Lions Place is what was needed to save the building. 

"Otherwise, the seniors that are in there wouldn't have been there, because the building wouldn't have been able to be maintained," he said.

"We did everything we could and far beyond … [but] we couldn't do it all."

Verrier says he welcomes an independent examination into the sale.

"They can do all the audits they want. I'd love them to look at it. Because guess what? Bring it on," he said. "They'll see what we do for our residents, and we go above and beyond, and that's not an exaggeration."

He says Lions Club of Winnipeg still offers programming at the former Lions Place, including a program that helps some residents connect with medical professionals, as well as arranging appointments for flu shots and foot care at no charge.

The CCPA report's accusation that the sale amounts to elder abuse is "totally against what we stand for and what we do with the rest of our operation," said Verrier.

That includes operating a personal care home, supportive housing and affordable housing, as well as four adult day programs throughout the city, he said.

"Don't just criticize things that have happened. Bring us solutions."