Government of Canada Invests in Women’s Shelter in Toronto

Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. That is why, in May 2018, the Government launched the National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF), the largest program of its kind in Canadian history.

Today in Toronto, Michael Levitt, Member of Parliament for York Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), announced a $4.96 million financial commitment from the federal government for the HER Build in North York, to be operated by North York Women’s Shelter (NYWS).

Thanks to this commitment by the NHCF, a pillar initiative of the National Housing Strategy (NHS), and to the investments of other partners, this project will be able to house up to 30 women and children who are fleeing violence.

NYWS is currently the only shelter for women seeking to escape violence and abuse in the North York district of Toronto. The energy-efficient, state of the art 24,000 sq ft. HER Build will replace NYWS’ old 3,000 sq ft. facility and will have increased potential capacity for residents, on-site supports and programs as well as resources for women in communities impacted by intimate partner violence.

NYWS actively supports the rights of women and children to build lives free of violence by providing non-judgemental safe shelter, advocacy, and a range of programs & services including 24-hour crisis support. Since opening its doors in 1984, over 11,000 residents have been supported by the shelter.

Quotes:

Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. As part of our National Housing Strategy, our Government is dedicated to helping those in need, which is why we are proud to be investing in this project. HER Build is more than just a safe place to spend the night during an emergency, it is a key to a better life for the women and children who come here when they have nowhere else to go.”

“Toronto’s emergency women’s shelters at operational breaking points as we consistently go over capacity to try to fill the gaps created by Toronto’s housing crisis, public service cuts and continued high rates of violence against women. This deadly combination means that less and less women can access shelters when they desperately need to. Shelters are critical spaces because statistics show us that women are at most risk of being killed when they try to leave an abusive situation; in 2018, 47 women in Ontario were murdered in domestic violence cases according to OAITH. We are deeply appreciative of CMHC’s capital contribution to HER Build, helping NYWS create a healing space for women and children that is responsive to our community’s increasingly complex needs. We are creating a space to break the cycle of violence, where even women who are not in shelter can access confidential anti-violence supports to safely escape the violence at home”

“Survivors of violence deserve a space to heal from trauma that respects their dignity, resilience and strength. HER Build puts the diverse accessibility and healing needs of women and children at the centre of its very design. That’s why we are designed to be pet friendly, child-centred, accessible and why our programming is culturally competent and trauma-informed. We are thrilled to be able to now extend our anti-violence services to women in the community who need us as well.”

Quick facts:

• According to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, a woman in Canada is murdered every 2.5 days.
• The shelter will have 30 beds with 17 bedrooms, with the potential max capacity of 40 beds (contingent on increased operational funding).
• 7 of the family bedrooms, including 17 beds, will be fully accessible.
• HER Build aims to achieve both energy savings of 19.5% compared to the NECB 2015 + SB-10 baseline.
• NYWS will be the first Toronto anti-violence women’s shelter to be pet-friendly.
• 60% of NYWS residents are children, most of whom are under the age of 10.
• This innovative model includes on-site supports for residents and the community such as a trauma-focused primary health clinic, individualized mental health supports, group expressive arts programs legal supports, food security programs, and free community space for women to self-organize.
• NYWS’s Capital Campaign to fund expansions in its trauma-informed programming, furniture and equipment has raised $1.6M of its $3M goal .
• With a budget of $13.2 billion, NHCF gives priority to projects that help those in greatest need, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, those dealing with mental health and addictions, Veterans and young adults.
• Through the NHCF, the Government of Canada will work with partners to build up to 60,000 new affordable homes and repair up to 240,000 existing affordable and community homes over the next 10 years.
• Investments are also planned in the NHCF to create or repair at least 4,000 shelter spaces for victims of family violence and create at least 7,000 new affordable housing units for seniors and 2,400 new affordable housing units for people with developmental disabilities.
• Under the Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.

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As Canada’s authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. For more information, follow us on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit www.placetocallhome.ca.

Information on this release:

Valérie Glazer
Press secretary
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
613-220-1841
valerie.glazer@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Spencer Magee
Public Affairs
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
647-244-0040
smagee@cmhc-schl.gc.ca