July 4, 2022

Winnipeg
19° C, Partly cloudy

Full Forecast

Contact Us Subscribe Manage Subscription Chat with us
Log in Create Free Account Help Chat with us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising Contact
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Subscribe to Newsletters

    • Finding your
      information

    • My Account
    • Manage my Subscription
    • Change Password

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
    • Log in
    • Create Free Account
    • Help

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
  • Coronavirus Coverage
  • Replica E-Edition
    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • Community Review East
    • Community Review West
  • Above the Fold
  • Front page
  • Arts & Life
    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Book Club
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
    • Manitoba's Top Employers
  • Canada
  • Local
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • World
  • Reader BridgeNEW
  • WFP EventsNEW
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News Café
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Archives
  • Free Press Community Review
    • All Free Press Community Review News
    • East Edition
    • West Edition
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Classifieds
  • Contests
  • Coupons
    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • LifestylesNEW
    • All Lifestyles
    • Business Hub
    • Community
    • Drink & Dine
    • Life
    • Wellness
    • Whiskers & Wings
    • Sponsored Articles
  • Homes
    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Newsletters
  • Obituaries
  • Puzzles
  • Photo and Book store
  • More

©2022 FP Newspaper Inc.

Close
  • Quick Links

    • Coronavirus Coverage
    • Federal Election
    • Above the Fold
    • Home
    • Local
    • Canada
    • World
    • Classifieds
    • Special Coverage
    • Newsletters
    • Obituaries
    • Photo and Book store
    • Archives
    • Contests
    • Publications
    • Sponsored Content
    • Privacy Policy

    Ways to support us

    • Pay it Forward program
    • Subscribe
    • Support Faith coverage
    • Support Arts coverage
  • Replica E-Edition

    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • Community Review East
    • Community Review West

    Business

    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
  • Arts & Life

    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Sports

    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • Opinion

    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor

    Media

    • All Media
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos

    Homes

    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Canstar Community News

    • All Free Press Community Review News
    • East Edition
    • West Edition
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Coupons

    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • About Us

    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News Café
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
The Free Press
Articles Read
Your Balance +tax
Day Pass Till
Day Pass
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising Contact
    • Report an Error
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
    • Staff Biographies
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Subscribe to Newsletters

    • Finding your
      information

    • Log in
    • Create Account
    • Help
    • Chat with us

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
    • My Account
    • Manage My Subscription
    • Change Password
    • Chat with us

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
Log in Create Account Contact Us
Contact Us Manage Subscription
  • Sections
  • Local
  • Arts & Life
    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Diversions
    • Environment
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Health
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
    • Manitoba's Top Employers
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Soccer
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
  • E-Edition
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
    • All Classifieds
    • Announcements
    • Automotive
    • Careers
    • Garage Sales
    • Merchandise
    • Pets
    • Real Estate
    • Rentals
    • Services
  • Lifestyles
    • Business Hub
    • Community
    • Drink & Dine
    • Life
    • Manitoba’s Top Employers
    • Wellness
    • Whiskers & Wings
    • Sponsored Articles
  • Coupons
    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print
    • Ripley's Aquariums
    • The Bay
    • Staples Canada
    • Altitude Sports
    • Nike
    • Tuango
    • Ebay Canada
    • Sport Chek
    • Roots
  • Obituaries
  • Subscribe$1.50 for 5 months
Home Canada

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Feds announce funds for women's shelters, advocate says more needed

By: Erika Ibrahim, The Canadian Press
Posted: 12:45 PM CDT Friday, May. 27, 2022
Last Modified: 3:17 PM CDT Friday, May. 27, 2022

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Print
  • Email
  • Save to Read Later

OTTAWA - The federal government has announced funding to construct and repair hundreds of spaces for women and children fleeing violence.

Housing and Diversity and Inclusion Minister Ahmed Hussen rises during Question Period, in Ottawa, on April 28, 2022. The federal government has announced funding to construct and repair hundreds of shelters for women and children fleeing violence. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Housing and Diversity and Inclusion Minister Ahmed Hussen rises during Question Period, in Ottawa, on April 28, 2022. The federal government has announced funding to construct and repair hundreds of shelters for women and children fleeing violence. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA - The federal government has announced funding to construct and repair hundreds of spaces for women and children fleeing violence.

Housing Minister Ahmed Hussen said the government will give over $121 million to build and repair a total of 430 spaces in shelters and transitional housing.

"The federal government is doing its part. Is there more work to be done? Absolutely. And we're committed to doing that," said Hussen in an interview.

The projects will be located across Canada, including Nunavut, Saskatchewan and Quebec.

The money comes from an initiative under the national housing co-investment fund, previously announced in the 2021 budget.

Lise Martin, executive director of Women’s Shelters Canada, said the funding is welcome and a good start to meet the high demand from women seeking safe shelter.

"The need is so great. And so this, unfortunately, is like a drop in the bucket," said Martin.

Advocates and front-line workers have been sounding the alarm that domestic violence has been on the rise since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, worsening the already dire shortage of shelter beds for women and children seeking safe places to stay.

Martin said she was disappointed the government did not renew the funding in the 2022 budget, and would have liked to see this initiative renewed until the end of the national housing strategy, which is set to end in 2027-28.

Asked whether the federal government would consider renewing the fund, Hussen's spokesperson Arevig Afarian did not directly respond but cited other programs in the national housing strategy that would benefit women.

The rapid housing initiative launched in 2020 will create 10,000 new housing units across the country, one third of which will support women or women and their children, Afarian said.

The government committed new funding in this year's budget to create at least 6,000 new affordable housing spaces, with at least one quarter of funding going toward women-focused projects, she added.

The funding announced Friday will flow directly to the non-profit organizations that are running the shelters, said Hussen.

The federal government has the flexibility to partner with provinces and territories as well as with organizations directly involved in the work, he said.

"In some cases they know what the needs are, and the money flows faster when we do that."

Provincial governments also might not step up when offered federal funding.

In 2020, Saskatchewan's then-minister for the status of women, Tina Beaudry-Mellor, said she was not aware that the province was leaving money on the table and not applying for certain programs that would help create funds to run shelters.

The province’s opposition corrections and policing critic Nicole Sarauer said at the time that although federal dollars are on the table to build more shelter spaces, operators can’t build them because Saskatchewan is one of only two provinces that does not provide operating funding for second-stage housing for survivors of domestic violence.

In fact, there are three provinces that don't fund second-stage shelters, including Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador, said Martin.

She pointed out the announced funding is unique for including an amount that would temporarily cover the costs of running the new shelters after they have been constructed.

The Free Press | Newsletter

Want to get a head start on your day?

Get the day’s breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning.

Sign up for Head Start
Sign Up

"That's often been the challenge for the shelters, that the federal government will provide funding to build shelters. But then you have to run the shelter, and that comes from the province," she said. "A province won't necessarily give the funds to run the shelter."

Experience has shown it often takes up to two years for operating funds to flow from provinces to new builds, said Martin.

The federal government's work to create more shelter spaces should be done in tandem with other levels of government doing their part, said Hussen.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2022.

---

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

  • Report Error
  • Submit a Tip
  • Refund

The Winnipeg Free Press invites you to share your opinion on this story in a letter to the editor. A selection of letters to the editor are published daily.

To submit a letter:
• fill out the form on this page, or
• email letters@freepress.mb.ca, or
• mail Letters to the Editor, 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2X 3B6.

Letters must include the writer’s full name, address, and a daytime phone number. Letters are edited for length and clarity.

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Top