Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Fact Finding Board on Housing Conditions
General material designation
- Textual record
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Subseries
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
5 cm. of textual records.
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The City of Winnipeg was incorporated in 1873 by a charter granted by the legislature of Manitoba. At incorporation, the City established a committee system of government: while Council was the governing body for the City, it was in committee that civic policies were formed and executed. The initial task for the first and all subsequent Councils was to strike standing committees for the Council year. In addition to standing committees, Council established special committees to investigate and manage various projects, issues and questions placed before the City. Special committees were typically struck by a Council motion that outlined committee composition and responsibilities. From about 1924 onward, special committees and their associated files were assigned an alpha-numeric code beginning with the letter "A".
The Special Committee on Housing Conditions was formed in December of 1933. In the original motion, the committee was instructed to conduct a detailed survey of housing conditions in Winnipeg. This motion was amended and the scope of the committee expanded to address the "whole matter of housing conditions in the City of Winnipeg". In 1935, the committee was further instructed to look into overcrowding and to determine areas that could be cleared and redeveloped. Between 1937 and 1945, the committee formed and managed the Winnipeg Housing Company Limited and its demonstration home project.
Throughout its history, the committee worked with the federal and provincial governments to take advantage of programs and funding sources for housing starts and renovations. In particular, the committee worked with Wartime Housing Limited to address housing needs for returning servicemen and veterans. In 1947, the committee created a Fact Finding Board to prepare a report on housing conditions up to that point in time.
Acute housing shortages during the 1940s lead to creation of the Emergency Housing Department in 1945, reported to Council through the Special Committee on Housing Conditions. This city department maintained a registry of applicants for housing and available housing units, lead a campaign to encourage citizens to register and rent out unoccupied rooms in their homes, administered various emergency and low rental housing sites, and became increasingly involved in welfare and social work relating to tenants in city housing projects (individual or family case histories are contained in some communications files). Annual reports prepared by the Emergency Housing Department provide statistical data and analyses of the effects of acute housing shortages on those living in substandard housing as well as on the city as a whole.
Effective January 1, 1957, the staff of the Emergency Housing Department were transferred into the Public Welfare Department of the City of Winnipeg, which then reported to Council through the Public Welfare Committee. At the first council meeting in 1957, a motion to "not reappoint" the Special Committee on Housing Conditions carried by majority and it was discontinued.
Name of creator
Administrative history
The City of Winnipeg was incorporated in 1873 by a charter granted by the legislature of Manitoba. At incorporation, the City established a committee system of government: while Council was the governing body for the City, it was in committee that civic policies were formed and executed. The initial task for the first and all subsequent Councils was to strike standing committees for the Council year. In addition to standing committees, Council established special committees to investigate and manage various projects, issues and questions placed before the City. The Special Committee on Housing Conditions was formed in 1933. The Fact Finding Board on Housing Conditions was appointed in April of 1947 and completed their work in June of 1947.
The Fact Finding Board on Housing Conditions was established by Council in April of 1947. The motion read: "Be it resolved that a fact finding board in respect of housing in general in Winnipeg be appointed by the mayor and that the board report to council by July 1." The Board was made up of three aldermen and the mayor, and one member each from the following organizations: Winnipeg House Builders Association, Greater Winnipeg Lumber Dealers Association, Winnipeg Builders Exchange, Building Trades Council of Winnipeg, Winnipeg and District Trades and Labour Council, Canadian Legion, B.E.S.L. and Winnipeg Unit, Army and Navy Veterans in Canada. The Board solicited information from various jurisdictions, as well as briefs from individuals or groups with an interest in solving the City's housing crisis. The final Report of the City of Winnipeg, Fact Finding Board on Housing in Winnipeg was completed June 27, 1947 and the Board was dissolved.
Custodial history
City Clerk's Department.
Scope and content
Forms part of Series 11, Fonds 1. Subseries consists of minutes, correspondence, reports on housing availability and costs for emergency housing, transcripts of public meetings and a copy of the final report of the Fact Finding Board. The records are in chronological order.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
There are no restrictions on access to these records. Researchers are responsible for observing Canadian copyright regulations.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
File list available in Research Room.
Associated materials
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
General note
Related groups of records within the same fonds:
Council Minutes, City of Winnipeg (1874-1971).