At Manitoba’s largest domestic violence shelter, the 38 beds are near capacity all the time, and stays are getting longer.
The narrative is the same at shelters giving safe housing for women and children across the province.
“What we’re seeing right now is a clog in the shelter system,” said Marcie Wood, the executive director of Willow Place.
She says a lack of affordable, safe and transitional housing in the city, is lengthening stays at their short-term crisis shelter.
“We’re near capacity all of the time,” she said. “It reduces the ability for people to come into the shelter when they’re in crisis because those beds are already being utilized by others.”
But, domestic violence waits for no one, and the number of people needing help has been steadily increasing. The government of Manitoba reports that calls to its 24-hour domestic violence information and crisis line were at 16,430 in 2020, 17,931 in 2021, and 18,569 last year.
“It’s an epidemic,” said ChezRachel counsellor, Joanne San Juan.
“The need is definitely more than we are able to accommodate,” she said, referring to the number of referrals from medical centres, schools and Willow Place, the second-stage shelter receives.
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San Juan said in addition to lacking space, high inflationary pressures and skyrocketing costs of living make transitioning out of a bad situation all the more difficult.
“Financial abuse is a significant form of intimate partner violence, and especially when you have to leave suddenly, or you can’t adequately prepare to leave a relationship, you have no choice but to leave with what you have,” she said.
“If you aren’t able to financially sustain yourself without the help of a second income, then that also creates a significant barrier for victims of domestic violence.”
Tsungai Muvingi, with Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters, said other factors compound the issue.
“We’re seeing more complex situations, including addictions, mental health and homelessness due to the housing crisis,” she said. “We’re also seeing children who have more complex mental health challenges as well…just because of some of the violence that they’ve seen with their families.”
Public education is an essential step forward, she said, “and teaching youth healthy relationships, responsibility, healthy behavioral outlets, and having mental health supports available.
“This will definitely go a long way, because as we look at it, people don’t know how to help someone who is experiencing gender-based violence, let along recognize the signs someone is experiencing (it).”
She said, “there’s still a massive stigma surrounding family violence, and many are still treating it like it’s a behind closed doors conversation.”
At Willow Place, Wood hopes a transitional housing facility of their own will help relieve some of the pressures.
“It’s supportive housing that provides an opportunity for people to transition into a safe place where they can still get supports that they need.”
Right now, Wood says there are some community led projects where transitional housing is being built, “and those will certainly help with some of the issues that we’re seeing with people transitioning.”
A fundraising campaign for the project is expected to get underway in a few months.
— with files from Global’s Rosanna Hempel
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