The BC Government has backed a new plan to build safe spaces for women and children fleeing violent circumstances.
In a press conference on Thursday, the BC Government announced their new plan "Building BC: Women's Transition Housing Fund." It's a 10 year plan with a $734,000,000 budget to create transition housing, second stage housing, and affordable housing. The plan has three steps that will take 10 years to implement. The first is to build 280 units spread out across BC in 12 separate projects. The second stage would see 500 units built in three years, and the final stage calls for 1,500 units built in 10 years.
Of the 280 units in the first step, 50 of them will be on Vancouver Island. 10 will be in the form of transition house beds in Nanaimo's Snuneymuxw Youth and Family Society, that will primarily serve Indigenous women and children, and provide cultural appropriate supports. The other 40 will be second-stage housing units, 20 will be in Port Alberni's Alberni's Community and Women's Service Society, and 20 will be in Langford's Victoria Women's Transition House Society.
Makenna Rielly, executive director of Victoria Women's Transition House Society, says these are crucial for women and children who are suffering from violence against them. "The need for second stage housing addresses a critical gap in transitioning from the emergency shelter and support services for survivors of domestic violence and abuse." She adds that women can only stay for 30 days at the emergency shelter's but they need much more time. She says the second-stage housing will provide a safe space for up to 18 months, while they receive supports and services, and work towards locating affordable housing, and rebuilding their lives,.
Mitzi Dean, the Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity, says this is a big announcement, as there hasn't been any funding for services like these in the last 16 years. "In fact services have been cut, and community agencies have been facing increasing pressures. Not being able to actually create balanced budgets to be able to respond to the need as well. This is really a significant shift in the sector and on behalf of women and children across the province."
When the final units have been built in ten years, BC will have 1,500 new units of transition housing, second -stage housing, and permanent affordable housing, along with support services to help women and children get out of violent circumstances, and rebuild their lives.