Governments of Canada and Alberta invest in Alberta women's shelters

Logo: Government of Canada (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

Logo: Government of Alberta (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

EDMONTON, Feb. 21, 2019 /CNW/ - The governments of Canada and Alberta are supporting women and children fleeing family violence in Alberta by investing in the construction, maintenance and repair of shelters and transitional housing in Banff, Brooks, Calgary, Edmonton, Fairview, Fort McMurray, High River, Medicine Hat and Sherwood Park.

A total of 11 organizations are receiving approximately $2.6 million in funding, which, in addition to improving facilities, will also support the construction of 15 new emergency beds in Fort McMurray, as well as three new transitional shelter units in Sherwood Park and two in Banff.

The Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), along with Nicole Goehring, MLA for Edmonton-Castle Downs, on behalf of the Honourable Irfan Sabir, Minister of Alberta Community and Social Services, made the announcement today.

This funding represents a portion of the $6.15 million the federal government provided to Alberta over two years (2016/2017 and 2017/2018) to support the construction and renovation of shelters and transitional housing for families fleeing family violence, through the Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement.

Quotes:

"Our Government is investing in our women's shelters because they give women and children fleeing violence stable and secure places to call home. These new and updated units are more than just safe places to live. The vital support services they receive from these shelters come at a crucial time, and have the potential to be the foundation from which they can build a better life."  — The Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality

""Our government stands firm in our commitment to address and prevent family violence. That's why we have provided more than $51 million to support women's shelters each year. These funds support women and children leaving an abusive situation and to find the support and resources needed to rebuild their lives. It's critical that all orders of government work together and I am thankful to the federal government for supporting our efforts to address this issue." – The Honourable Irfan Sabir, Minister of Alberta for Community and Social Services 

Quick facts

• As part of this announcement, three shelters in the Edmonton area received funding, including:
• $732,360 to the Strathcona Shelter Society for the purchase and renovation of condo units, which will add three second-stage/transitional housing units.
• $100,784 to Edmonton Women's Shelter (WIN) for repairs and renovations.
• $95,193 to Wings of Providence for repairs and renovations.
• The Alberta government provides more than $51 million annually to support women's shelters. This includes providing operational funding for 710 beds in 30 women's emergency shelters, as well as programming in 12 second-stage shelters and fee-for-service agreements with five First Nations on-reserve shelters.
• The Government of Canada is currently rolling out its National Housing Strategy (NHS), an ambitious 10-year, $40 billion plan that will create 100,000 new housing units and lift 530,000 families out of housing need, as well as repair and renew more than 300,000 housing units and reduce chronic homelessness by 50 per cent.
• The NHS is built on strong partnerships between federal, provincial and territorial governments, and on continuous engagement with others, including municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private sectors to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Canadians.

Associated links

As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. For more information, please visit cmhc.ca or follow us on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Backgrounder

Location	Shelter	Funding	Purpose
Rocky Mountain House	Mountain Rose Women's Shelter	$1,946,528	New construction to replace the current 10 bed women's emergency shelter with 21 emergency beds and five second‑stage units
St. Paul	St. Paul and District Crisis Association	$1,080,000	Renovation of existing facility and two second‑stage/transitional housing units. Create a new secure entrance, family visiting area and secured private intake office
Fort McMurray	WayPoints Community Services	$1,000,000	New construction to replace the current shelter. The new shelter will add 15 emergency shelter beds, for a total of 45 emergency beds
Sherwood Park	Strathcona Shelter Society	$732,360	Purchase and renovation of condo units, which will add three second‑stage/transitional housing units
Lac La Biche	Hope Haven Society	$500,000	Renovation of two duplexes, to add three second-stage transitional housing units
Calgary	YWCA – Calgary	$210,000	Roof repairs and insulation. Window replacement for health and safety reasons at their current building
Banff	YWCA – Banff	$196,268	Retrofitting of acquired property that adds two second‑stage/ transitional housing units
Medicine Hat	Medicine Hat Women's Shelter Society	$102,000	Kitchen and dining room renovation to align with expanded shelter size
Edmonton	Edmonton Women's Shelter	$100,784	Repairs to hot water heaters, heating system, roof repairs, wheelchair ramp, shower units, etc.
Edmonton	Wings of Providence	$95,193	Replace flooring and patio grading (safety)
Brooks	Cantara Safe House	$55,643	Security fencing and landscaping (safety) for new facility
Calgary	Discovery House	$51,288	Mechanical and electrical repairs and security upgrades
Whitecourt	Wellspring Family Resource and Crisis Centre	$29,884	Replace flooring (health to prevent bed bug issues)
High River	Rowan House Society	$22,993	Heat ventilation and air conditioning repairs
Fairview	Crossroads Resource Centre	$22,462	Upgrades and renovations to the existing women's emergency shelter to address security, health and safety of clients and staff

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Media contacts, Valérie Glazer, Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, 819-654-5546, [email protected]; Leonard Catling, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 604-787-1787, [email protected]; Government of Alberta, [email protected], 780-422-4905

Related Links

www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca