In the early 1960s, housing in Winnipeg was in short supply — particularly affordable housing.

The Mulvaneys lived on Derby Street near Jarvis Avenue, which had been coined “the worst street in the city” by the media at the time because of the housing conditions in the area.

Private landlords controlled most North End rentals, and low-income families were lucky to have two separate rooms. Toilet facilities were often shared with other tenants.

Eventually, the Mulvaneys would become residents of the first public housing complex built and sponsored by the provincial government: Burrows-Keewatin. Most Winnipeggers know it today as Gilbert Park — a sprawling 254-unit complex that houses over 1,000 people.

Excitement turns to disappointment Decades later, a CBC investigation into the state of Manitoba Housing has found despite the lofty goals for public housing in the 1960s, it’s now a system in decay, with homes in desperate need of repairs and thousands of people on waiting lists.