Unaffordable housing in Kelowna may be preventing women from leaving abusive relationships.
According to the Executive Director of Kelowna Women’s Shelter, one in three women will experience abuse at the hands of a romantic partner in their lifetime. Victims who can't afford the cost of housing can often be trapped in a circle of violence if they have nowhere else to go.
“A lot of women end up staying with an abusive partner, or going back to an abusive partner they’ve left, because they cannot find safe and affordable housing for them and their children” said Karen Mason. “That’s absolutely unacceptable.”
On any given night in Canada, more than 3400 women and 2800 children end up sleeping in shelters to escape abuse. Another 300 are turned away because the shelters are full.
Kelowna Women’s Shelter is a safe first step for women fleeing violence, but increasing unaffordability in the housing market prevents them from completing the transition.
“Officially, women are supposed to stay with us a maximum of thirty days.” said Mason. “More and more women and their children [are] staying with us much longer than thirty days because they just can’t find anywhere safe and affordable to transition into.”
In Kelowna, the impacts of unaffordability are well known. At last count, 286 people were homeless in the city, with thousands more living below the poverty line.
Shelters have popped up around the city and earlier this year the municipality established the Journey Home Task Force to develop a long-term strategy for ending homelessness in the city.
In order to improve outcomes for their clients, the shelter has been approved by the BC Government to build and operate 40 units of second-stage and permanent affordable rental housing. The spaces will be specifically reserved for women and children fleeing violence.
Mason hopes to break ground on the project sometime in the New Year.