News
07/2025 : Arms of the Cross Housing Inc.
On June 29th, the final service was held at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Winnipeg’s West End. While the church’s role as a place of worship has come to a close, the congregation’s legacy of service to the community will carry forward through a new purpose – creating affordable housing for those in need. To help realize this vision, the church has entrusted its land and building to Arms of the Cross Housing Inc. (AOTC), a non-profit housing provider and registered charitable organization founded by the church in 1977. With support from Shared Ground, AOTC is pursuing plans to convert the 1965 modernist structure into a new affordable housing development, extending its mission to provide housing for senior saints.
The 2024/2025 Year in Review highlights the progress made since the initiative’s launch in October 2024, celebrating the early momentum of social purpose organizations working to create affordable housing in their communities. Click the link below to learn more about key milestones, growing partnerships and how Shared Ground is helping organizations navigate the early stages of development with greater confidence and support.
05/2025 : Year in Review
04/2025 : Community Roundtable on the Future of Faith Properties
Canada’s churches face a crossroads—aging congregations, limited funds, and underused properties put one-third of faith buildings at risk of closure this decade. Winnipeg’s Shared Ground initiative is helping faith communities transform land into affordable housing and vibrant spaces. On April 8th at St. Mary’s Road United Church, Shared Ground brought together city officials, funders, heritage experts, and community and faith leaders to explore bold new possibilities. Together, we shared ideas, highlighted inspiring models, and identified sites ready for redevelopment in Winnipeg. Panel discussions included: Sacred Spaces to Community Places: Unlocking the Potential of Faith Properties, From Steeples to Streetscapes: Navigating Opportunities and Obstacles in Faith Property Redevelopment, and Funding the Future: Investing in Housing Opportunities on Faith Properties.
See below for a welcome message from River Heights MLA Mike Moroz, a list of panelists and a video summary of the event.
12/2024 : Shared Ground in the Free Press
“A new initiative will help develop more affordable housing on existing social-purpose infrastructure in Winnipeg. Called Shared Ground, it is designed to help charities, non-profits, co-operatives or social enterprises with land or buildings ready for transformation.”
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