Lethbridge city council is moving forward with funding for a new women’s transitional housing project following a unanimous vote Monday afternoon.
“What you saw from council is the recognition that we need to create places for recovery, for treatment, for residents of Lethbridge,” said Coun. Belinda Crowson, “and this is absolutely part of that.”
The $425,000 in spending that council voted to approve will support the creation of a 20-bed facility. Of the funding, $125,000 will come courtesy of the Lethbridge Housing Fund.
The remaining $300,000 in provincial funding will be transferred from the Affordable Housing Municipal Block Funding Program.
“These are 20 women that now have a chance, a place to go, and they’ll see hope for the future,” Crowson said. “Housing is something that is such a vital part of dealing with addictions and dealing with vulnerable people.
“Once you have a house, you have stability, you have support, you can start looking for employment, you can start working on recovery, and this is looking at the continuum of care on the recovery end.”
Streets Alive will independently operate the facility and its programs for women seeking support in transitioning out of homelessness, abusive households and addiction, as well as take care of all operational costs.
The facility will be dedicated to operating as transitional housing for a minimum of 20 years.
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