Over 60% of Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence Face Housing Instability: AHMA’s New Strategy Aims to Change That

November 25, 2025

Unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and

səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, Vancouver – More than 60% of survivors of intimate partner violence experience housing instability after leaving abuse – a staggering reality that disproportionately affects Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people across British Columbia.

Behind every statistic is a story of a woman or child forced to choose between violence and homelessness. To confront this crisis, the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA) has launched its Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Housing Strategy, an Indigenous-led initiative to ensure survivors have safe, culturally grounded, and permanent housing.

Rooted in the teachings and experiences of Indigenous women and gender-diverse people, the strategy responds to the urgent and ongoing crisis of violence faced by Indigenous people living in urban, rural, and northern communities. It outlines a framework for culturally safe housing and support systems that recognize housing as a critical determinant of stability and wellness.

“Our communities have told us what safety means: it starts at home,” said Margaret Pfoh, AHMA’s CEO. “This strategy is about transforming the systems that continue to fail Indigenous women and gender-diverse people, by ensuring that every Indigenous person has access to housing that is safe, dignified, and grounded in culture.”

AHMA’s GBV Housing Strategy charts a path to housing justice through four key pillars:

1. Rights to Housing – Utilize human rights instruments that uphold housing as a fundamental right for Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

2. Housing Research & Evaluation – Invest in Indigenous-led data, evaluation, and policy development to identify gaps in housing for priority populations throughout BC.

2. Equity Driven Approaches – Advance equitable and accessible funding mechanisms that enable For-Indigenous By-Indigenous (FIBI) housing providers to own, design, and deliver a diverse range of culturally safe and supported housing solutions for vulnerable Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

2. A Diverse Range of Culturally Safe and Supported Housing Programs – Prioritize capacity building that includes training to support FIBI housing frontline workers, ensure fair and equitable wages, and prevent burnout.

AHMA, in collaboration with the GBV Advisory Committee and through further engagement with its members, undertook an extensive consultation process. These consultations shaped a vision for housing systems that uphold safety, respect, and Indigenous sovereignty.

“We heard clearly that colonial systems have created deep harm – and that Indigenous-led housing solutions are essential to breaking the cycle of violence,” said Margaret Pfoh. “This strategy is our commitment to action, healing, and self-determination – we need government to make the same commitment to Indigenous women, without further delay.”

The Gender-Based Violence Housing Strategy is part of AHMA’s broader work to advance equity, cultural safety, and self-determination in housing for Indigenous people across British Columbia. The Strategy calls on all levels of government to uphold Indigenous women’s right to housing and to invest in Indigenous-led solutions that end the cycle of violence and displacement.

The full strategy will be available at https://ahma-bc.org/resource-centre/public-policy/gender-based-violence-housing-strategy/

Media Contacts:

Kelly Moon

AHMA Communications
communications@ahma-bc.org

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