More housing for women and children fleeing domestic violence

May 27, 2022

Everyone in Canada deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Women and children fleeing domestic violence in communities across Canada will now have more places to turn to.

Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, along with the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, and George Chahal, Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview, announced $121.2 million to construct and repair shelters totaling over 430 units, providing shelter beds and transitional housing units to women and children fleeing domestic violence in the following municipalities:

• New Hazelton, British Columbia
• Calgary, Alberta
• Cold Lake, Alberta
• Whitecourt, Alberta
• Regina, Saskatchewan
• Winnipeg, Manitoba
• Kawartha Lakes, Ontario
• Stratford, Ontario
• Toronto, Ontario
• Montréal, Québec
• Shawinigan, Québec
• Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, Québec
• Miramichi, New Brunswick
• Marystown, Newfoundland & Labrador
• Iqaluit, Nunavut

This federal funding is being provided through the Women and Children Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative, and falls under the National Housing Co-Investment Fund. The funds announced today are part of the first window of a $250 million initiative announced to support the construction, repair, and operating costs of an estimated 560 units of transitional and shelter spaces for women and children fleeing domestic violence.

This initiative was developed and delivered with strong collaboration from Women’s Shelter Canada, a network of 14 provincial and territorial shelter associations representing over 450 shelters across Canada.

Quotes:

“Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. A place where a child is able to learn and grow in a stable environment. This is why our government is providing funding to build and operate 16 new shelters and transitional housing options across Canada. These will be places of sanctuary for women and their children escaping family violence. These shelters will provide an opportunity to rebuild lives and gain independence, and will include access to critical support services. This is the National Housing Strategy at work.” — The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

“The pandemic has impacted us all, and for women and children facing violence, the impacts have been severe. To address this issue, our government is partnering with Women’s Shelters of Canada through the Children Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative to increase access to safe and affordable housing across Canada. We all must continue speaking up against acts of gender-based violence, listen and learn from survivors, and think about we how we can build a more equal future for everyone.”