Mayors join finance minister to discuss, share feedback on landmark tax

New safe homes open for women leaving violence in West Kelowna

November 15, 2023 at 3:39 pm  BC, News, Politics, Provincial

Women and children leaving violence in West Kelowna now have access to 55 new safe places, with a partnership between the Province through BC Housing and Kelowna Women’s Shelter.

“No matter where people live in B.C., they should have a safe place to go when they need it,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing. “These 55 new spaces will be instrumental in providing women and their children leaving violent situations with the safe housing options they need, with supports that will help them on the path to recovery.”

The new four-storey building has 23 transition-house beds spread among 10 rooms. Each room has as many as four beds and a private bathroom. The ground floor has a lounge, indoor dining area, shared kitchen, storage and spaces for support programming.

The building features 32 second-stage homes located on the second to fourth floors. The second-stage homes and the transition spaces are available to women and gender-diverse people leaving violence, including transgender women, Two-Spirit, non-binary people, and their children. Each unit contains as many as four bedrooms, a small kitchen, storage and a private bathroom.

Kelowna Women’s Shelter operates the building with offices on site.

“Providing safe housing for those fleeing domestic abuse is critical,” said Michelle Dickie, interim executive director, Kelowna Women’s Shelter. “We are relieved to be able to provide a much-needed second-stage program that includes safe housing for those looking to rebuild after abuse. It is important to continue to invest in supports for women to be able to take steps for safety and independence.”

Transition houses are staffed around the clock and provide safe, short-term shelter and supports, typically for as long as 30 days. Second-stage housing provides safe short-term housing and supports for women after they leave an abusive relationship or situation. Women typically move into second-stage housing after a stay in a transition house and can stay in the units while they prepare for independent living.

The Province, through BC Housing, provided approximately $16.2 million through the Building BC: Women’s Transition Housing Fund to the project and will provide an additional $1.9 million in annual operating funding.

“We know how important it is for women to find comfort and support in their living arrangements after leaving intimate-partner violence,” said Kelli Paddon, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity. “Having distance and security is the first step when people are rebuilding their life and we will continue to lift up women in our province by supporting safe spaces like these transition-housing initiatives.” 

The development is part of a $19-billion housing investment by the B.C. government. Since 2017, the Province has nearly 77,000 homes that have been delivered or are underway, including approximately 300 homes in West Kelowna.

Quick Facts:

  • As is standard for projects for women and children leaving violence, the address of this project has not been disclosed for safety reasons.
  • The Women’s Transition Housing Fund was created in 2018 as a $734-million investment over 10 years to build and operate 1,500 transition housing, second-stage housing and long-term housing spaces for women and children leaving violence.
  • As part of the Province’s new housing plan, Homes for People, the government is investing a further $1.2 billion over the next 10 years to double the number of Women’s Transition Housing Fund spaces, bringing the total to 3,000.
  • To date, nearly 1,000 units are complete or underway giving women and their children a place to regroup and rebuild their lives.

Learn More:

To learn about government’s new Homes for People action plan, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HOUS0019-000436

To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for British Columbians, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/housing

View the full article from the original source

No conversations yet

Activity Stream

Wed, Dec 4, 2024 at 9:00 am - Doug Smith posted on their blog: Hiking the Uplands Trails in Fall
Sat, Nov 30, 2024 at 9:00 am - Doug Smith posted on their blog: Low Iron – Triple Lumen Hike
Thu, Nov 28, 2024 at 8:00 am - David Suzuki posted on their blog: Do these politicians understand carbon?
Wed, Nov 27, 2024 at 3:04 pm - Kamloops Film Society posted on their blog: KFS Holiday Giving – Nov 2024 – The Kamloops Film Society
Tue, Nov 26, 2024 at 9:00 am - Doug Smith posted on their blog: Sugarloaf Hill Hike – KamloopsTrails
Fri, Nov 22, 2024 at 9:00 am - Doug Smith posted on their blog: A Fall Hike to Moul Falls
Thu, Nov 21, 2024 at 8:00 am - David Suzuki posted on their blog: Climate progress is unstoppable, despite U.S. election
Mon, Nov 18, 2024 at 9:00 am - Doug Smith posted on their blog: Dewdrop Ridge – Bluebird Trail Loop
Fri, Nov 15, 2024 at 9:00 am - Doug Smith posted on their blog: Upper Grasslands Track – KamloopsTrails
Thu, Nov 14, 2024 at 8:00 am - David Suzuki posted on their blog: Let’s leave gas in the past — especially for buildings
Full Stream

Upcoming Events

KAG: Presences
Thursday Sep 26 to Thursday Dec 19
KAG: Stories That Animate Us
Saturday Oct 5 to Saturday Dec 28
Adult 6 Week Mixed Media Workshop
Monday Nov 4 to Monday Dec 9
Winter at Privato
Sunday Nov 17 to Sunday Dec 22
WCT: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Thursday Nov 21 to Monday Dec 8
Meet Santa at Sahali Mall
Saturday Nov 30 to Monday Dec 23
Gingerbread House Competition 2024
Sunday Dec 1 to Tuesday Dec 24
Resin Pouring Workshop
Thursday Dec 5
The Eh Team
Friday Dec 6
Elf
Friday Dec 6
All Events