Leaving an abusive intimate relationship is one of the most dangerous things a woman can try to do in her life and often the biggest barrier for her in making a move is finding a place to go.
Leaving an abusive intimate relationship is one of the most dangerous things a woman can try to do in her life and often the biggest barrier for her in making a move is finding a place to go.
Offering a safe place for those leaving situations involving domestic violence is one of the goals the Banff YWCA has for its Bow Valley Women's Emergency Shelter project.
The Y currently houses the single emergency shelter space available to women who need shelter and, with only two beds in that room, it is woefully inadequate to meet the needs of the entire Bow Valley, according to a needs assessment completed last year.
YWCA CEO Connie MacDonald said the issue of domestic violence in Canada is intricately connected to homelessness and especially the rates of homelessness seen for women and children.
With the cost and availability of housing in the Bow Valley, MacDonald said the issue is compounded locally due to a lack of available and appropriate space for women in these situations.
“When a woman leaves her home she is homeless and sometimes what happens is there are temporary solutions, but temporary solutions are not permanent solutions, and one of the largest contributing factors to women experiencing homelessness across Canada is domestic violence,” she said.
The emergency shelter space at the YWCA, according to a needs assessment prepared by Synergy Research Group, experiences high demand and statistics show the number of admissions have been increasing since 2011-12. In that fiscal year, seven women and children used the space, whereas in 2015-16 it was 29 that stayed in the shelter. In terms of nights occupied, in 2011-12 there were 118 nights it was used, in 2014-15 it was 495 nights (between the two bed spaces) and in 2015-16 that figure was 428.
An additional 29 women in the community accessed supports or programs related to the issue of domestic violence in 2015-16, the most recent data available.
But for MacDonald, the biggest source of concern is the women and children who are turned away. In 2014-15 there were 34 and in 2015-16 it was 42 – many of whom were referred to other shelters in Alberta if space was available.
“Expecting women from the Bow Valley to have to leave our community to seek support and to cut off any network they have by leaving the community is not a good option for women and children and a new, suitable facility can address those needs locally,” she said. “Suitable means that it is the right size for our population and it meets provincials standards in terms of health and safety, the needs of children and security.”
The needs assessment identified a range of spaces that would potentially serve the valley – between eight to 14 beds of emergency shelter space.
But an emergency shelter provides only temporary accommodation and support for women who access them. Typically they stay about three weeks before transitional housing is needed.
While the valley only has one unit of emergency shelter space, it has no transition housing for women and children leaving domestic violence. MacDonald said two to four spaces of transition housing could potentially meet the needs of the valley if provided.
“The shelter is the first emergency step, but the importance of transitional housing is for women and their children who are ready to move from a shelter to a more independent living situation that is still supportive,” she said. “That step is critical to the whole continuum of housing for women trying to build a life without violence.
“If there is nothing available in the Bow Valley for housing, the option is typically for them to move to another community where we can maybe find space, but that means giving up a lot.”
The variables of leaving an abusive relationship are staggering, from considerations of employment, housing availability and cost to schooling for children and community supports available. MacDonald said it typically takes anywhere from seven to 10 attempts to be successful at leaving a violent relationship because of the different factors at play in each specific situation.
“Sometimes the answers aren't always crystal clear all the time,” she said. “But I think we have the opportunity to create a made in the Bow Valley solution. It is going to take a lot of work, but I think we have the resources, we have the community support and the commitment to make it happen.”
Part of the commitment to make it happen has been the annual VineArt fundraiser – an evening of food, art and wine dedicated to increasing awareness concerning the Bow Valley Women's Emergency Shelter project and the issue of domestic violence.
“As we get closer toward our vision of creating a new facility, the money generated through VineArt helps us in two ways,” MacDonald said. “One is we need the money to run our day-to-day operations, some of the money goes towards that.
“The second part is to raise money to move along the development of building a new shelter.”
With only one shelter space, the YWCA is not eligible to receive provincial funding for the operational aspects of that program. It is one of the only shelters in Alberta that does not receive funding, but a new shelter designed specifically to meet the community's needs could change that situation and open the door to more grant funds.
While the project has yet to overcome the biggest hurdle of finding land – or raising enough capital to purchase land – through the needs assessment and fundraising, the YWCA is building a foundation on which to build shelter space and develop transitional housing.
Canmore Rotary Club recently voted to support the project after thoroughly vetting all the work that has gone into it so far. The club's support means a lot to the YWCA, not just because it means $240,000 in funds.
“It was a significant vote of confidence and support going forward,” MacDonald said. “Not only did they provide us with financial support, they also provided us with access to experienced people in their organization to help us work on the project.”
Part of that work involves researching service delivery models that can be used or created to run an emergency shelter.
VineArt, meanwhile, is being held on March 18 at the Banff Springs Hotel. The evening features a live and silent auction, art, food and wine. Go to www.ywcabanff.ca to find out more information or to purchase tickets.
