A new women’s shelter in Airdrie has suffered a major setback, according to board members.
Airdrie P.O.W.E.R. (Protecting Our Women with Emergency Resources) was supposed to open later this month, but the facility’s construction was halted when it was discovered the current design didn’t meet commercial codes.
Crystal Boys, the founder of Airdrie P.O.W.E.R., said the non-profit organization leased an older home with upgrades in mind — but not to such a severe extent.
“We pretty much have to gut the home and start over now when that’s not what we were quite prepared for,” she said.
The necessary renovations are expected to add at least three months to the build time, with additional costs ranging anywhere from $60,000 to $100,000.
“The worst part of it all is that there are women and children waiting for this facility to be open so that they can come and safely start planning their exit strategy, just have somewhere to go where they have support and people that understand what they’re going through,” Boys said.
She added that the board is devastated and scrambling to raise money and acquire materials.
“This is not going to stop us, it’s just going to delay us,” Boys said. “The faster we can raise this money and the material, the faster we can open.”
WATCH (Jan. 9, 2019): Crystal Boys joins Global News Morning Calgary with details on a new women’s day shelter opening in Airdrie in 2019.
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