A 24/7 emergency shelter dedicated to meeting the needs of vulnerable women in Edmonton is already at capacity just months after opening its doors.
The Hope Mission Karis Centre is located downtown, on 107th Street at 103rd Avenue. It opened its doors in February as a way to meet a steady increase in demand for its services for women, according to Hope Mission.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in the need for women’s services in Edmonton and an increase in… women in the homeless population in Edmonton,” said Tim Pasma, director of programs for Hope Mission. “We felt like we needed to add services and support for that population.
“A lot of women experiencing homelessness have been through various forms of trauma, various forms of difficult situations. So what we wanted to be able to provide is a range and a mix of programming and services that are dedicated to this population.”
Pasma said the need emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said when the pandemic started, Edmonton shelters were seeing about 40-60 women in their facilities on any given night. Now, shelters are seeing over 200 women every night.
When the facility opened it had 40 beds and already it has expanded to 80 beds. Pasma said those beds are full every night.
The facility offers services to women age 16 and older. Services offered at the shelter include meals, washrooms, showers, laundry services and social supports.
On-site workers also help connect women with social services, housing searches and referrals to addiction recovery programs. Other supports include helping women obtain ID.
A nursing clinic is staffed by registered nurses to help with any health emergencies and provide on-site medical care.
“It’s not strictly just an emergency shelter with a mat on the floor,” Pasma said. “We’re really trying to elevate the level of care that we can provide. Everybody had a bed, everybody has a semi-private space, everybody has access to a range of different support options.”
Donna Kozak has been utilizing shelters for over a year. When the Karis Centre opened earlier this year, she moved to the facility and said the experience has been “100 per cent” better than other shelters.
“It’s really a positive experience. We try to keep everybody on the up and up, not the down and down.”
She said being surrounded by women makes her feel more comfortable, and she doesn’t feel like she’s being bothered by other people.
“This one is really, really nice,” Kozak said. “It’s just so much more private and it feels like your own personal space to have while you’re here.
“It’s just a really positive environment.”
Plus, the services offered at the shelter are extremely helpful.
“The nurses are here,” Kozak said. “They’ve been fabulous. Really good and they give you lots of tips about how to keep yourself safe and eat well.”
Funding for the shelter comes from the province and donors to the Hope Mission. Pasma said ideally, they’d like to expand the shelter to open up another 20 to 40 beds.
In an email to Global News, the province said capacity across all emergency shelter spaces in Edmonton has been averaging 79 per cent for the last month (May 13 to June 11).
If demand surpasses capacity at Karis Centre women’s shelter, Hope Mission can transport people to its main building, which has additional space to accommodate women.
“In addition to funding the 24/7 operations at the Karis Centre, the province is also funding 24/7 emergency shelter operations for women-only spaces provided by” Elizabeth Fry Society, Mustard Seed and the Women’s Emergency Accommodation Centre, a spokesperson for Minister Jason Nixon said.
The province added that it is investing $83.8 million in homelessness supports in Edmonton in 2024-2025.
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