Domestic violence: 13 shelter projects completed or underway to better protect women and their children

The Government of Canada, the Government of Quebec, the Alliance des maisons d’hébergement de 2^e étape pour femmes et enfants victimes de violence conjugale and the Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale are pleased to announce that 13 shelter projects are either up and running, under construction or about to be built, demonstrating the tangible benefits of the investments made. A total of 167 units will be added to help women and their children as they move forward in their lives.

Overall, the Government of Canada is providing $56.4 million for these projects through the Affordable Housing Fund and the Canada–Quebec Agreement under the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI). The Government of Quebec is investing $41.7 million. In addition, the majority of these projects carried out under the Programme d’habitation abordable Québec (PHAQ) are receiving an investment stemming from the Canada–Quebec Agreement under the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) and new matching investments announced by Quebec in its 2023 and 2024 economic updates.

We would also like to highlight the partner municipalities’ remarkable contributions to these projects. Through their donations of land, financial contributions and close collaboration at every stage of the process, they have played a key role in making these new shelters a reality. This reflects a collective commitment to victims of domestic violence and helps provide safe environments adapted to their needs.

A number of businesses and community donors have also given generously, including the Mirella & Lino Saputo Foundation. Through its donation to the Alliance des maisons d’hébergement de 2^e étape pour femmes et enfants victimes de violence conjugale, the Foundation made it possible to adapt the units for people with reduced mobility. Lastly, we would like to recognize the steadfast commitment of the organizations’ boards of directors and leadership, whose dedication and vision made these construction projects possible.

List of projects

Below is a list of these projects and their current status. For confidentiality reasons, their specific locations cannot be disclosed.

Quotes:

“With the completion of these 13 projects, we reaffirm our collective responsibility to create safe, equitable and caring environments for all women and their children. The 167 affordable units announced today reinforce our commitment to preventing violence and protecting the well-being and safety of those most at risk.”

“The Government of Quebec is proud to support shelter projects for women who are victims of domestic violence and their children. Providing a stable living environment is about restoring dignity, hope and the possibility of a new beginning. It is also a concrete way to reaffirm our commitment to building safe spaces. Congratulations to the many partners who are working together to continue these vital projects.”

“A second-stage shelter is much more than housing for women who have courageously left a violent home: it is a safe living environment that provides them — and their children — with a community, specialized services, and the support they need to rebuild their lives. These shelters offer the stability needed to catch their breath, regain their footing, and plan for the future. The Government of Canada is proud to support the creation of 167 new units across several regions of Quebec, helping more families begin this new chapter.”

“These 13 projects demonstrate our government's ongoing commitment to combatting intimate partner violence. Providing safe living environments means giving women and their children the opportunity to rebuild their lives free from violence. I would like to acknowledge the work of all the partners involved and thank them for their dedication and collaboration.”

“The completion of these 13 projects is a significant achievement and a testament to the power of collaboration. Yet, with 11 domestic-violence-related femicides recorded in Quebec so far this year, it is clear that the need remains immense. Every woman and child seeking to flee violence must be able to find safety without delay. We must continue working together and accelerate the development of new shelters in response to this urgent crisis.”

“Behind each of these new homes are years of hard work, mobilization, and determination. For our teams, it is especially moving to see these doors open. Every new home created represents another opportunity to provide safety, support, and hope to women and children who are embarking on a new beginning after experiencing intimate partner violence.”

“With the creation of three new shelters and the expansion of a fourth, more women will have access to the specialized services these establishments offer and get the support they need to ensure their safety and end an abusive relationship.”

Highlights

• Shelters provide a comprehensive range of specialized services for women and children experiencing domestic violence. These services include shelter-based support and counselling, outreach services for women who do not require shelter or who are transitioning after leaving a shelter, specialized support for children — whether or not they are staying in the shelter — and community-based prevention, education, and awareness initiatives. Shelters are safe, secure places for women and children. They operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, adapting their services to the needs of their communities.
• An estimated 8% of women experiencing domestic violence remain at high risk when they leave an emergency shelter and require placement in a second-stage shelter.
• Second-stage shelters are an integral part of the continuum of domestic violence services. They provide women, with or without children, with specialized post-separation domestic violence support through safe and secure transitional housing. These shelters have specialized expertise in post-separation domestic violence, including reducing the effects of victimization, assessing the risk posed by a former partner, addressing the impact of violence on children and supporting women’s independence. Domestic violence does not necessarily end after separation. In many cases, it escalates when a woman decides to leave an abusive relationship.
  
• Women stay an average of 39 days in emergency shelters that are members of the Regroupement and 8 months in second-stage shelters that are members of the Alliance.

About Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Visit canada.ca/housing for the most-requested Government of Canada housing information.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is a federal Crown corporation and the foundation of Canada’s housing system. For over 80 years, CMHC has supported the functioning of housing markets across the country through housing finance solutions — including mortgage loan insurance and securitization — while providing trusted, unbiased data, research and market intelligence to inform policy and decision making. Through its national presence, deep expertise in housing economics and finance, and a system-wide perspective, CMHC helps foster a more stable, well-functioning housing market that supports households, communities and the broader economy. Follow us on X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

About the Société d’habitation du Québec

The SHQ works to meet the housing needs of Quebecers, including by increasing housing supply throughout the province for people with low or moderate incomes and for those with special needs. It supports its partners in the fields of construction and renovation, property management and home adaptation. It also provides direct financial assistance to low-income households so that they can pay their rent.

To find out more about its activities, visit www.habitation.gouv.qc.ca/english.html.

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About the Alliance MH2

The Alliance des maisons d’hébergement de 2^e étape pour femmes et enfants victimes de violence conjugale (Alliance MH2) has 36 member shelters across 14 regions of Quebec. Its mission is to represent, support and advocate for the rights of its member shelters, as well as the rights of the women and children they serve, within a continuum of services. The Alliance also aims to inform, raise awareness and mobilize Quebec’s population on issues related to post-separation domestic violence, domestic violence and domestic-violence-related femicides and homicides.

Visit https://www.alliancemh2.org/ and follow the Alliance MH2 on Facebook (Alliance MH2), Instagram (Alliance MH2) and LinkedIn (Alliance MH2).

About the Regroupement

The Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale brings together 47 shelters located across 16 administrative regions, making it the largest network of specialized domestic violence resources in Quebec. Through its mandate of education, awareness-raising and advocacy, it works to advance laws and policies to strengthen protection measures for women and children experiencing domestic violence. It also provides members with a space for reflection, ongoing training and collective action, while representing their interests before public and government authorities.

Visit https://maisons-femmes.qc.ca

Sources:

Nicolas Gravel
Press Secretary to the Quebec Minister Responsible for Housing
367-867-7770
nicolas.gravel@habitation.gouv.qc.ca

Mohammad Hussain
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure
mohammad.hussain@infc.gc.ca

Mélanie Miranda
Housing Coordinator
Alliance MH2
habitation@alliancemh2.org

Information:

Media Relations
Société d’habitation du Québec
medias@shq.gouv.qc.ca

Media Relations
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
media@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Media Relations
Alliance MH2
habitation@alliancemh2.org