The Family Centre of Winnipeg runs six family resource centres in Manitoba Housing complexes in Winnipeg. Each resource centre provides a neutral space within the complex and meets some very basic needs for the tenants who attend the centre: food, essentials like phones, faxes or computers, and social interaction with friends and neighbours. There are programs for parents and children to learn new skills and to spend some time together outside the home, and tenants are always welcome to stop by and say hello, to have a cup of coffee and a snack. The impact that the resource centres have had on the individuals, families and communities in each of the complexes is significant. Tenants talked about having more self-confidence, being able to stand up for themselves, and feeling more comfortable and safer in the community since participating in the resource centres. They talked about their children’s improved self-esteem and social skills, and about having better communication and relationship skills with family members. People also talked about the importance of being able to say hi to their neighbours, and of having a neutral space within the complex where they can gather, get to know each other, and deal with conflicts in a proactive way. These changes have greatly improved the quality of life for many people in these six complexes. Over the last ten years, the centres have become integral parts of the community, providing resources, programming and supports to the hundreds of families who live in those complexes. This study looks at the impact of these community development programs in creating positive environments in public housing developments outside the inner city, and seeks to better understand what works and what could be better in the programming offered through the family resource centres.
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