feasibility study: transitional housing for women leaving...

Feasibility Study: Transitional Housing for Women Leaving Violence AReportpreparedforRowanHouseEmergencyShelter

PreparedbyKathrynWilliams

October2015

“Womenexposedtoanyformofviolenceshouldhaveaccessto

safeaccommodationandprotection.Sheltersshouldbeavailable

to all women, and provide services without conditions. Safety

andsecurityshouldbecentral toallaspectsofaccommodation

and services. Programmes should reflect the voiceof survivors,

promoting women’s empowerment and right to self-

determination” (Gierman, Liska, Reimer, Ridgeway, Delaney,

Caminha,…Cairns,2013).

RowanHouseEmergencyShelter,FeasibilityStudy,2015 ii

Acknowledgments

This feasibility study was funded by an anonymous donor. Rowan House Emergency

Shelterisgratefulfortheirsupportwithoutwhichthisimportantprojectwouldnothave

cometofruitioninsuchatimelymanner.

Theauthorwouldliketothanktheexecutivedirector,thefrontlinestaff,andtheboard

ofdirectorsatRowanHouseEmergencyShelterforalltheirinputandinsights,andfor

taking the time to share their experiences, challenges and success in theirworkwith

women leaving violence. Additional mention goes to those staff that assisted with

compilingofRowanHousestatistics.Theauthoralsothanksthosewhoassistedwiththe

finalediting.

Theauthorexpressesgratitudetowardsallthecommunityhousingorganizationsinthe

High River area for taking the time to share their experiences and knowledge with

respecttothisimportantissuetoensureacommunityprofileonthetopic.

The information contained in this study is subject to copyright. When copying or

reproducinganypartof thisdocument,pleaseacknowledgeRowanHouseEmergency

Shelterasthesource.ThereportwaswrittenbyKathrynWilliams.

RowanHouseEmergencyShelter,FeasibilityStudy,2015 iii

TableofContents

ExecutiveSummary 1TheFeasibilityStudy 1HistoryofRowanHouse 2CurrentServices 3TheNeed 5IntersectionbetweenFamilyViolenceandHomelessness 7EnvironmentalScan 9RuralConsiderations 10

Housing 11Non-abuseSpecificShelters 12

BarriersforWomenaccessingHousing 13LackofappropriateServices 14Income 15Discrimination 16SafetyafterSeparation 17TraumaandHealth 19SupportandParenting 21Policies/Criteria 21RuralConsiderations 22ConsiderationsforImmigrantWomenandAboriginalWomen 23

DomesticViolenceSpecificHousing 24Women’sEmergencyShelters 24Second-StageShelter 26*UpdateonSecond-StageFunding 28Third-StageShelter 29HousingFirstModel 29StayingatHomeModels 30

AdditionalModelsandConsiderations 32Recommendations 34ExpansionofServiceDelivery 35ServiceModel 35ExistingServices/Funding 36

RowanHouseEmergencyShelter,FeasibilityStudy,2015 iv

SafetyandChoice 36IncreasedCollaboration 37Policies 37

Conclusions 38AppendixA–RowanHouseStatistics 40Numberofwomenandchildrenadmittedtoprograms 40LengthofstayinResidential 40DangerAssessments 41ClientRegions 41

AppendixB–HousingTypeSummary 42References 46

RowanHouseEmergencyShelter,FeasibilityStudy,2015 v

ANoteonLanguage

Throughout this paper, the terms ‘victim’ is used to refer to awomanwhohas been

deliberatelyharmedbytheunwantedactionsofanother,and‘perpetrator’assomeone

whohasdeliberatelyharmedanotherperson.Manysheltersprefertheterm‘survivor’

to ‘victim’, as it implies inner strength and ingenuity, whereas victim may imply

passivity.Theuseofthetermvictiminthispaperisnotintendedtoimplyanidentityof

apassiveperson,oracceptanceofone’scircumstances. It isbynomeans intendedto

dishonouravictim’sdignityorundervaluetheirstrengthandresistance. Ibelievethat

neithervictimnorsurvivorissufficientindescribingthecomplexityofavictim’soverall

experience.Awordalone is bynomeans sufficient todescribe theexperienceof the

victim.Itmustbeuptoindividualsastohowtheydescribethemselvessinceallvictims

have a very different experience. Service providers and advocates can support their

decisionandusesimilarlanguagethatfitsforeachindividual.

Theterm‘sexualized’violenceisusedinthisreportasthepreferredlanguage.Theterm

‘sexual’assault impliesthatthis formofassault isasexualactandthereforeamutual

act.Sexualizedassaultisanactofviolenceandthereforedeliberatelyperpetrated.The

term‘violentrelationship’ isnotused inthisreport forthesameimpliedreasons.The

term ‘relationship’ implies amutuality. The language used instead is ‘women leaving

violence’ or ‘abused women’ or ‘violent partner’. This language is informed by the

notion that all forms of violence are deliberate, unilateral acts of violence (Coates &

Wade,2004).

RowanHouseEmergencyShelter,FeasibilityStudy,2015 1

ExecutiveSummary

InAlbertaas in countlesspartsof theworld, violence remainsa reality in the livesof

manywomenand their children. Forwomen choosing to leave a violentpartner, this

oftenmeans leaving their home, and sometimes their community to access supports

thatareavailable.Researchindicatesthattheneedforsafehousingandtheeconomic

resources to maintain safe housing are two of the most pressing concerns among

womenwhoareplanningorhavelefttheirabusers(Clough,Draughon,Njie-Carr,Rollins

& Glass, 2013). On leaving an abusive partner and faced with inadequate affordable

housing, women are left with a choice between homelessness and returning to the

abusive partner (Tutty, Ogden & Weaver-Dunlop, 2008). A recent Canadian study

showedthat31%ofshelterusers intendedtoreturn to theabuserbecauseof lackof

housing(Taylor-Butts,2007asreportedinPonicetal.,2011).Foraconsiderablenumber

ofwomen, leaving becomes a pathway to homelessness for them and their children.

The lack of safe affordable housing and a lack of resources could result in women

returningtoabusivepartnersoutofdesperation(DeKeseredy&Hinch,1991,asquoted

inTuttyetal.,2006).Accesstosafeaffordablehousingwouldensurethatwomenhave

thechoicenottoreturntotheirabuser,andultimatelylivesafelives.

This paper outlines: the history of Rowan House and its ongoing development of

services,includingadescriptionofthecurrentservicesoffered;anoverviewofcurrent

housingchallengesinAlberta,includingoccupancyratesandgrowth;theneedformore

safe and affordable housing; a description of non-abuse specific and abuse specific

housingoptions,withacomprehensiveconsiderationforanumberoffactorsincluding

accessibility,affordability,andsafety;anoverviewofadditionalhousingmodelsthatare

being used elsewhere that may be a consideration for the local area; the need for

specific housing for women leaving violence; the value of domestic violence specific

housingforwomenaswellastheriskforwomenwhousenon-abusespecifichousing;

and barriers for women trying to access housing. Potential funding implications and

partnershipsforconsiderationarebrieflyoutlined.Finally,recommendationsaremade

forRowanHouse tomove forwardwith an expansionof services around thehousing

continuum. This paper is specifically relevant for High River and area, but also has

implications that can be translated to other rural communities. While no two rural

communities are the same, there are underlying commonalities that can be shared

across rural areas to look at the bigger picture of homelessness for women leaving

violenceacrossAlberta.

TheFeasibilityStudy

ThemissionofRowanHouseEmergencyShelter is toprovidecrisis intervention, long-

termsupportandeducationforthoseaffectedbyfamilyviolenceinruralcommunities.

RowanHousehasaclearcommitmenttoaddressingfamilyviolenceinthecommunity,


which has been demonstrated in the ongoing development of programs and services

thatitprovides.Ongoingdiscussionswithintheorganizationaswellaswithpartnering

agencieshaveforalongtimeclearlyidentifiedgapsinhousingoptionsandsupportfor

women leaving violence. The increasing housing crisis in Alberta has reached critical

pointsinmostareasacrosstheprovinceincludingHighRiverandsurroundingareas,and

affordable rental accommodation is rapidly decreasing. The environmental disaster of

the2013 floods inCalgaryandsurroundingareashadamajor impacton theTownof

HighRiver,leavingresidentswithfewerhousingoptionsthanbefore.Sinceopeningits

doors inHighRiver,RowanHousehashadfeedback fromclientsand indications from

staffthatreinforcethisknowledgearoundthegapinhousingservices.“Findingsafeand

affordablehousing forourresidents isaconstantstruggle, resulting inextendedstays

which in turn limits the number of admissions to shelter” (front line staff at Rowan

House,2015).

It iswellrecognizedinthedomesticviolencesectorthatonecomponentofthegapin

the continuum for housing for women lies in transitional housing. This is a form of

temporaryhousingthatismeanttobridgethegapfromhomelessnessandemergency

shelters to permanent housing by offering appropriate support services. Preliminary

discussionwithintheorganizationhas focusedonwhethertransitionalhousingshould

be a part of Rowan House’s continuum of services. There are various models of

transitionalhousing,andonethathasproveditssuccessinAlbertaisthesecond-stage

sheltermodel,aformoftransitionalhousingthatisspecifictowomenleavingviolence.

Data gathered from second-stage shelters in Alberta over the years clearly indicate a

higherstabilityrateforwomenwhohaveaccesstosecond-stagehousing.RowanHouse

believesthatthesecond-stagesheltermodelispotentiallyaviableoptiontofillthegaps

aroundhousing forwomen.RowanHouse is struggling to supportwomenaround the

nextstageofsafeandaffordablehousingthattheyneedoncetheyleavetheemergency

shelter.“Wearelookingathowwecanplayapartinprovidingthisvaluableresource”

(SherrieBotten,EDRowanHouse,2015).

There are threemain objectives of this feasibility study. First, to increase knowledge

around domestic violence-specific housing, recognizing that public education and

awarenessareessential inthepreventionoffamilyviolence.Second,todocumentthe

informationaroundthecurrenthousingchallengesforwomenleavingviolenceinorder

to support the pursuit for funding applications for the sustainability of housing

expansion. Finally, the main objective is to formulate recommendations on service

provision for housing in the area. This information will assist Rowan House tomove

forwardintheirongoingdevelopmentofacontinuumofbestpracticeservices.

HistoryofRowanHouse

The history of Rowan House is a remarkable expression of resilience and community

spirit.Thesupporttoexpand,buildandrebuildfollowingthedisasterofthe2013flood


is a testament to the communities’ commitment to ending family violence. Initially

openingunderthenameEagleWomen’sEmergencyshelterinJanuary2000,theshelter

sharedafacilitywithagroupforyouthhomeinBlackDiamond.Thetinytwobedroom

basement suitewas only large enough to house twowomenwith up to two children

each.Theshelterquicklyexpandedtoofferoutreachsupportin2003,anditwassoon

realized that a larger facility was needed as more women and children were being

turned away than were being housed due to lack of space. A feasibility study was

completed in 2006 and confirmed that there was a need for a larger facility, as the

existingonesimplycouldnotaccommodatetheneed.Therecommendationsoutlinedin

thestudyincludedimprovedaccessibilityforwomen,ahighsecurityfacilityforsafety,a

minimumofeightbeds,anda fullymodernized facilitywith theability togrow in the

future.Theanalysiswasclearthatdemandforthefacilitywouldcontinuetogrow,and

itwas necessary to have a facility that could growwith the increasing demand. High

Riverwas recommendedas the location,due toproximity tovarious facilities suchas

bus, taxi, hospital, RCMP, high school, adult education, Victim Services, Family

CommunitySupportServices(FCSS),andcostofliving.

In2007, thenameof theshelterwaschangedtoRowanHouseEmergencyShelter. In

thefallof2008,landwaspurchasedinHighRiverandRowanHouse’sCapitalCampaign

began. In Juneof2011asod turningceremonywasheldand inOctoberof thatyear,

constructionofficiallybegan.TheconstructionwascompleteinJune2012,andthenew

8500 square foot facilityhad sevenbedrooms,amulti-sensory room,a spiritual room

andprogramming space. The facilitywasopen to clients in July2012, andwas full to

capacitywithintwodays.Theshelterquicklyexpandedfromtheoriginalcapacityof10,

toacapacityof18byApril1,2013,withsomeadditionalfundraising.

Elevenmonths after opening RowanHousewas hit by the flood of June 2013,which

devastated many parts of Calgary and surrounding areas. The shelter lost all of the

children’s centre, staff areasandprogramming space, including themulti-sensoryand

spiritualrooms,andhadtobecloseddown.RowanHousereopenedwithin2months,

operatingonasmallerscalewithouttheuseofthelowerfloor.ByJanuary2014,Rowan

House had secured additional funding and was fully operational with all 24 beds

available. The impact of the disaster prompted a review of RowanHouse’s practices,

ensuringthatallservicesaretraumainformed.Therecognitionoftheincreasedlevelsof

traumathatfamiliesexperienceandthelackofsafeandaffordablehousingforwomen

leavingshelterwas the impetus for furtherexplorationof transitionalhousingoptions

forwomen.

CurrentServices

EachdayatRowanHousebeginswitha ‘ResidentMeeting’,a timewhenall residents

andstaffgatheraroundthediningroomtabletostartthedayonapositivenote.Itisa

space for residents to feel caredabout,encouragedandsupportedby staffaswellas


each other. A round of gratitude begins the day where heartfelt appreciation is

expressedfor‘beingfree’and‘feelingsafe’.

RowanHouseEmergencyShelter’spurposeistoprovideasafe,supportiveenvironment

forwomenand their children fleeingdomestic violence.ThemissionofRowanHouse

EmergencyShelteristoprovidecrisisintervention,long-termsupportandeducationfor

those affected by family violence in rural communities. Rowan House believes it is

importanttosupportwomenthroughajourneyofhealingthroughanoverallapproach

that acknowledges mind, body and spirit. The Rowan House name comes from the

Rowantree,alsoknownastheMountainAsh.Theberries,oftenretainedthroughthe

winter,symbolizetheenduranceoflifethroughthedarkoftheyearandthetreeitself

was said to afford protection to the dwelling by which it grew. Rowan Trees have

traditionallybeenassociatedwithpeace,sanctuary,privacyandbeauty.Thesymbolism

ofthetreereflectsthevaluesofRowanHouse.

Rowan House facilitates the care of immediate needs such as food, clothing and

housing, aswell asprovidingopportunities tonourish the inner spirit. The facilityhas

seven bedrooms, two rooms that can accommodate families, housing a total of 24

women and children. One bedroom is fully accessible for women or children with

mobility issues, or can be used for older women or those requiring separation from

noiseandhighactivitylevels.Thefacilityalsohasaresourceroomforresidentstouse

computers to make appointment, work on resumes and send emails, several living

areas,laundryfacilities,amulti-sensoryroom,andalargechildcareroom.

Rowan House provides a spectrum of services including in-house shelter services,

outreach, education and prevention. In-house shelter support is available forwomen

andchildrenwhofindthemselvesinacrisissituationandinneedofemergencyhousing.

Residential services such as food and laundry facilities, crisis intervention, danger

assessment and safety planning support, in-house education groups, community

referralsandgroup supportareavailable.Outreachprogrammingprovides support to

women in the community who do not need to come into the shelter, but require

support tokeepthemselvesandtheirchildrensafe fromabuse,aswellas forwomen

whohavetransitionedfromtheshelterbackintothecommunityandrequirecontinued

support.Outreachprogrammingincludescrisiscounselling,safetyplanning,supportand

referrals to assist clients in meeting basic needs, court and legal support, solution

focusedcounselling,domesticviolenceeducationprogramming,andadvocacytoclients

in all areas including housing, social services and child welfare. The child support

program at Rowan House offers specialized programming for children focusing on

buildingself-esteemandteachingcopingskillsformanaginganxiety.Individualsessions

areoffered tohelp foster and strengthen relationshipsbetweenmother and child, as

well as education programming around children exposed to domestic violence. These

services are available to in house shelter clients as well as outreach clients. Rowan

Houseiscurrentlyrunningatrialtransitionalhousingprogram.RowanHouseisleasing

four units in High River and subleasing the units to women who have accessed the


shelter program. All services operate from a strength based and a response based

approach,workingwithinaphilosophyofsafety,refugeandgratitude.

TheNeed

Domesticviolenceisanepidemicinourcountry.It isapervasiveandcomplexsocietal

problem.Incomparisontonationalnumbers,Alberta’sincidenceofdomesticviolenceis

amongstthehighestofallCanadianprovinces. Albertahasthesecondhighestrateof

self-reported spousal violence in the country (AlbertaGovernment, 2014). In Alberta,rates of violence against women are 2.3 percent points higher than the national

average,anda2012studyhasdeterminedthatineveryhourofeveryday,awomanin

Albertaisavictimofsomeformofinterpersonalviolencebyanex-spouseorex-partner

(Wells,Boodt,&Emery,2012).

InmanycommunitiesacrossCanadaandAlberta,availableshelterspaceisinadequate.

Emergencysheltersareoftenfullandthereforenotavailable.Overthepastfewyears

therehasbeenanincreasingnumberofwomenandchildrenturnedaway,reflectingan

increasinglevelofneedandlackofsheltercapacityacrosstheprovince.AlbertaCouncil

ofWomen’s Shelters (ACWS) collects annual data on shelter statistics across Alberta

includingthenumberofwomenandchildrenthatareturnedawayfromsheltersdueto

differentreasons,mainlyinsufficientspace.Onjustonedayin2013,99womenand87

childrenwereturnedaway fromAlbertashelters (ACWS,2013).Annualdatacollected

from April 1, 2013 toMarch 31, 2014, showed that Alberta shelters admitted 5,710

womenandtheir5,612children.Inthissametimeframe8,427womenandtheir8,012

childrencouldnotbeservedbysheltersdueto lackofcapacityandhadtobe turned

away(ACWS,2014b).Inthe2014-2015fiscalperiodthenumberofwomenandchildren

thatcouldnotbeaccommodatedbyshelterswasatanalltimehigh.In2014-2015,over

10,000 abused women and their children were accommodated by ACWS member

shelters and a staggering 9,073 women and 9,548 children were turned away from

Alberta member shelters due to lack of capacity (ACWS, 2015a). A ten-year trend

analysis released in 2012, revealed that 103,343 women and 108,955 children were

turnedawayacrossAlbertaSheltersinthespanofthetenyearsconsideredinthestudy

(ACWS,2012).Thesenumbersindisputablyspeaktotheinadequatecapacityofshelters.

From April 2014 to March 2015, Rowan House was consistently full to capacity,

admitting98womenand129children,atotalof227residentstotheshelterprogram.

Inthesameperiod,staffprovideddirectclientsupportto38womeninthecommunity,

andreceived1217crisiscalls.Duringthissametime,201womenand153childrenwere

turnedawayeitherbecauseofcapacity,orbecauseRowanHousewasunabletomeet

women’scomplexneedssuchasaddictionsandmentalhealth(RowanHouse,2015).

Since the opening of the new Rowan House facility in High River in 2012, it has

consistentlyturnedawaymorewomenandchildrenthanhavebeenadmittedintothe


shelter.Since2012,1,081womenandchildrenhavebeen turnedawaymainlydue to

issuesofcapacity(notethat201ofthesewereduetothefloodsin2013),andonly531women and children have been admitted (Rowan House, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015).

Almost double the amount of women and children have been turned away than

admitted to shelter. These numbers are consistent with the rates of women being

turnedawayacrossAlbertashelters.

Figure 2 below shows that the number of residential clients at Rowan House have

increasedmorethanfourtimesinsixyears.Thoughthiscanbepartlyattributedtothe

changeinvenue,thefactremainsthatthenumbershavebeensteadilyincreasingover

theyears.Thereareconsistentlymorewomenturnedawaythanareadmittedtoshelter.

Figure1:AdmissionvsTurnAway

The number of women and children turned away is of significant concern, and the

impact on their safety is severe. More often than not, women return to the abuser

because there is nowhere else to go. Housing has been identified as a significant

concern,onethatcanoftenforceareturntoanabusivepartner(Tuttyetal.,2014).The

increasednumberofwomenbeingturnedawayfromsheltersreflectsnotonlythelack

ofcapacityinemergencyshelters,butalsoashortageofsafeandaffordablehousingfor

women after they leave an emergency stay. In an analysis of the ACWS annual data

collected,trendsovertimeindicatethat2013-14sawamarkedincreaseintheaverage

lengthofstayinsheltersacrosstheprovince(ACWS,2014b).Thisresultsinlessshelter

capacity tomeet the increasingdemandofwomenneedingemergencyshelter,and it

naturallyfollowsthattherewillbeanincreasedamountofwomenbeingturnedaway.

The length of stay in shelters in Alberta is increasing for amyriad of reasons,mainly

050100150200250300350400450500

2014/15 2013/14 2012/13 2008/09 2007/08

AdmissionvsTurnAway

TurnAway Admission


because of the alarming absence of housing options that are neither affordable nor

secure.Longerstaysmayalsobeareflectionof:employmentthatoffersa livingwage

and affordable child care; the increasing complexity of clients’ needs; an increase in

unemployment and downturn in the economy; mental health and addictions needs

related to trauma; aswell as elevated safety issues. This steady increase around the

length of stay for women most certainly indicates a need for increased emergency

capacityaswellas for transitionalhousing.ACWSestimates that foreveryemergency

shelter bed, there needs to be two or three second-stage shelter beds in Alberta

(Hoffart,2014).

RowanHousedatamirrorsconcernsofprovincialdataaroundincreasinglengthsofstay.

Inthefiscalyearof2014-2015,47%ofwomenatRowanHousestayedlongerthan21

days(RowanHouse,2015)–astrongattestationthattheyhadnowhereelsetogoto.

Figure3belowshowsthatthewomenwhostayedmorethan21daysatRowanHouse

hasalmostdoubledinthepastthreeyearsandthat43%ofwomenstaymorethan21

days.

Figure2:LengthofStayinEmergencyShelter

IntersectionbetweenFamilyViolenceandHomelessness

Thereisaclearcorrelationbetweenfamilyviolenceandhomelessness.Thisissupported

inhomeless studiesand in fact it isdocumented thatdomestic violence isoneof the

maincausesofwomen’shousinginstabilityandhomelessnessamongCanadianfamilies

(Baker,Billhardt,Warren,Rollins&Glass,2010;Jategaonkar&Ponic,2011).Pavaoetal

2ORLESS 3TO10 11TO20 21TO62 62ORMORE

2015 2014 2013 2012 2011


(2007)reportedthatwomenwhohadexperiencedintimatepartnerviolencewerefour

timesmore likely to report housing instability thanwomen in the general population

(Jategaonkar&Ponic, 2011).Despite this clear connection,womenhavebeenmostly

underrepresented in the writings on homelessness, and the stereotypical image of

homelesspeopleisofthoselivingonthestreet,orinabandonedbuildings,andsleeping

in parks. This image largely reflects the experiences of homeless men rather than

homelesswomen(Fotheringham,Walsh,Burrowes&McDonald,2011).Whilethereare

a small number ofwomenwho fit this picture, themajority of homelesswomen are

instead,partof the ‘hiddenhomelesspopulation’.Howsocietyviewshomelessness is

reflected in the approaches that are taken to irradiate it. The spotlight on the male

experience has had an influence on why women are underrepresented and

consequently,under-serviced(Fotheringhametal.,2011).

In examining the intersection between family violence and homelessness, how one

defines homelessness influences how many women are identified as part of this

population.Itisimperativethen,tolookatthebroadercontinuumofdefinitionsaround

homelessness. Definitions of homelessness vary from narrow to broad. The United

Nationsdividestheconceptofhomelessness intotwocategories(UN,2014).Absolute

homelessness refers to literal or visible homelessness, for example, those with no

physicalshelteroftheirown.Thisappliestothosewhomaybe‘livingonthestreets’or

‘sleepingrough’.Thesecondcategory,wheretheretendstobe lessconsensusonthe

definition,isrelativehomelessness,whichreferstohiddenorconcealedhomelessness.

This applies to people living in spaces that do notmeetminimum standards. That is,

they lackadequateprotectionfromtheelements,accesstosafewaterandsanitation,

securetenure,personalsafety,affordabilityandaccesstoemployment,education,and

health care (Novac, 2006). Relative homelessness is more commonly experienced by

womenandyouth thanbymen (KappelRamjiConsultingGroup2002;Novac2002as

quoted in Novac 2006). Violence plays a central role in shaping the pathways into

homelessness forwomen and girls and their homelessness is less visible than that of

men(YWCACanada,2013).Livinginaresidentialenvironmentthatfailstomeetabasic

standard of personal safety such as domestic violence can, under this definition, be

considered as relative homelessness. The Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation

further stipulates that housing must be adequate, affordable and suitable (Canadian

Observatory on Homelessness, 2012). If housing falls below at least one of these

criteria,thenthehouseholdwouldbeconsideredincoreneedofhousing.

This latter categoryofhousing for themostpart is undocumented.Most researchon

homelessness isbasedon thosewhouse sheltersandotherhomeless services,which

will most certainly understate the representation of gendered homelessness. Often

referredtoascouchsurfers,thisdescribespeoplewhostaywithfriends,family,oreven

stranger’s homes. They are typically not paying rent, their duration of stay is

unsustainable in the long term, and theydonothave themeans to secure theirown

permanenthousinginthefuture.Theydifferfromthosewhoarestayingwithfriendsor

family out of choice in anticipation of prearranged accommodation, whether in their


currenthometownoranaltogethernewcommunity.Thislivingsituationisunderstood

by both parties to be temporary, and the assumption is that it will not become

permanent. In some cases, people who are homeless make temporary rental

arrangements, such as staying in motels, hostels, rooming houses, etc. Although

occupantspayrent, theaccommodationdoesnotoffer thepossibilityofpermanency.

Many women demonstrate creativity, resourcefulness and incredible persistence to

assure the safety and well-being of themselves and their children and implement a

varietyofstrategies,carefullyschedulingcouchsurfing(Clough,Draughon,Njie,Rollins

&Glass2013).

Bothhousingandfreedomfromviolencearekeyhumanrights.Yetaccesstosafe,stable

andaffordablehousing isoftenviolatedwhenwomen leaveviolentpartners.Thefirst

important document that codified the right to adequate housing is the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights (UDHS), adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948

(UNGA,1948).Article25(1)states:

"Everyonehastherighttoastandardoflivingadequateforthehealthandwell-beingofhimselfandofhisfamily,includingfood,clothing,housingandmedicalcare and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event ofunemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack oflivelihoodincircumstancesbeyondhiscontrol."(UNGA,1948).

Withinthe literatureonwomenwhohavebeenabused, ithas longbeen impliedthat

housing is a key area of service provision alongside counselling, employment, income

support,andlegalsupport.Jategaonkar&Ponic(2011)substantiatetheneedtoprovide

long-term housing as a key service response to violence againstwomen. Gender and

violence are important dimensions that must be considered within the complex

relationshipsbetweenhousingandhealth(Jategaonkar&Ponic,2011).Itisimportantto

extend conceptual frameworks of the housing-health relationship that explicitly takes

gender,women’sdiversityandviolenceintoaccount.

EnvironmentalScan

TheeconomiclandscapeofAlbertaoverthepastdecadehashadanenormousimpact

onthehousingchallengesthatwomenface.Albertahasbeenoneofthefastestgrowing

provinces inCanadaoverthepast twodecades.Between1994and2014, theaverage

annualgrowth(GDP)inAlbertawas3.5%,higherthananyotherprovince(ABCanada,

2015). Between 2005 and 2015, Alberta’s population increased by 26%, the highest

increaseofanyprovinceorstateinNorthAmerica(ABCanada,2015).In2015Alberta’s

population grew by 1.8%, the highest provincial rate of increase and double the

Canadiangrowthrateof0.9%(ABCanada,2015).Inshelters,thenumberofprovincially

andfederallyfundedbedsremainedat718whichwasreachedin2012(ACWS,2014b).

Thenumberofbedshasnotkeptpacewithpopulationincreases,andthisalonespeaks


to increasingstrainonshelter services inAlberta,andsuggests thatadditional shelter

capacityisneeded.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) conducts a rental market

survey twice a year in April and October to provide vacancy availability and rent

information.TheCalgaryCensusMetropolitanArearecordedanapartmentvacancyrate

of 1.4 percent inOctober of 2014, up only slightly from1.0 percent inOctober 2013

(CMHC,2014).ByAprilof2015Calgaryreportedanoverallvacancyrateof3.2percent

(CMHC, 2015). The slight increase in vacancy rates in Calgary and in Alberta by April

2015canbeattributedpartlytothesofteningeconomicconditionsduetodeclineinoil

pricesthathasslowedgrowthintheAlbertaeconomy.Additionalexplanationsinclude

thetotalmigrationtoCalgarybeingloweroverthepastyear,whilemorepurposebuilt

rentalstructureswereaddedtotheoverallsupplyofrentals(CMHC,2015).

AlthoughthevacancyrateshaveincreasedslightlyintheCalgaryareaoverthepastyear

and a half, the average rents continue to rise. In Calgary, rent for a two-bedroom

apartment rose 5.9 percent from October 2013 to October 2014 (CMHC, 2014). An

averageapartmentinCalgaryhasgonefrom$1,118inOctober2013to$1,214inApril

2015(CMHC,2015).ThesameholdstrueforHighRiver,wherethevacancyrateshave

risen from 0 percent to 3.9 percent in April 2015, and an average two-bedroom

apartment price has risen by 7.3 percent (CMHC, 2015). Rent has gone from$877 in

October 2013 to $928 inApril 2015 (CMHC, 2015). Thenumber of private apartment

units in High River has gone down from 132 in October 2013 to 127 in April 2015

(CMHC,2015).Okotoks’vacancyratehasrisenmodestlyfrom0percentinOctober2013

to1.9percent inApril 2015, and renthas increaseanaverageof3.9percent (CMHC,

2015). Despite this slight increase, the fact remains that vacancy rates are shockingly

low across the province, and coupled with higher rental rates, it does not ease the

pressure for women leaving domestic violence to secure affordable housing. These

numbers from CMHCmay also obscure reality to some extent as they are based on

conventional units and do not take into account secondary units, whichmay include

basementsuitsorotherunitsthatareillegalundercommunity’szoninglaws.

Consistentwiththesedocumentedprovincialchallengesaroundhousing,RowanHouse

isstrugglingtosupportwomentofindsafeandaffordablehousingoncetheyleavethe

emergencyshelter.

RuralConsiderations

Rural shelters in theprovince such as RowanHouse see additional challenges around

services. A rural sheltermay experience increased demand for broader services from

women who, in addition to a history of domestic violence, may also experience a

multitudeofotherchallengessuchashomelessness,poverty,lackofavailablehousing,

mental health, isolation and addictions. In rural areas additional specific services are


often not available, placing further burden on shelters to offer these supports to

women. The responsibility to accommodate these diverse needs places additional

pressureonexistingresourcesandstaff.

TheGovernmentofAlbertahasmadeacommitmenttoendhomelessnessby2019.To

thisend,theAlbertaSecretariatforActiononHomelessnessisworkingwiththeseven

major cities todetermine the individual needs, causes, andpotential solutions. These

are important steps in the reduction of homelessness, although there has not been

nearlyasmuchattentionpaidtohomelessnessinruralAlberta.Urbanhomelessnesswill

notendwithoutaddressingruralhomelessness.Alberta’smunicipalitieshavefoundthat

as much as 40% of their homeless population had in fact migrated from rural

communities(ARDN,2013).It isessentialtodevelopeffectiveruralstrategies,inorder

to address homelessness as a whole. Homelessness in rural communities is primarily

hidden (Schiff, J. W., & Turner, A. 2014). Rural communities have limited services

availabletoaddresshomelessnesslocally,thusmigrationtolargercentresisoftenrelied

onasamitigationstrategy(Schiff,J.W.,&Turner,A,2014).Addressinghomelessnessat

aruralleveliscentraltoaddressinghomelessnessasawholeacrosstheprovince.

Housing

Housingisbynomeansasimplesubject.Therearemanychallengesaroundaffordable

communityhousing inHighRiverandacrossAlberta. Inaddition to lowvacancy rates

and affordability issues, there aremany important considerationswhen reflecting on

housing for women and children leaving domestic violence that make their

circumstancesuniqueandrequiredifferentapproachesandserviceconsiderations.

The housing continuum is made up of housing options that broadly includes home

ownership,marketrentalhousing,non-marketrentalhousingandhomelessness(Ponic,

Varcoe, Davies, Ford-Gilboe, Wuest, Hammerton, 2011). Market housing is privately

owned,wherenon-markethousingisownedbyanorganization,generallygovernment

or non-profit, and includes affordable housing, social housing and rental subsidies.

There exists both abuse specific and non-abuse specific housing options. A complete

overview of the spectrum of housing that is availablemay suggest thatwomen have

manychoices.Infact,thehousingoptionsmustbeexaminedacrossarangeofdifferent

criteriatounderstandwhymanyofthesehousingoptionsarenotachoiceforwomen

leaving violence.Oftennon-abuse specific options arenot feasibleornot safe.Abuse

specificresourcescanbeinaccessiblefornumerousreasonssuchasinadequatespace,

aswellasvariousadmissionscriteria.

ThedifferenttypesofaccommodationcurrentlyavailableintheHighRiverandCalgary

region to women who are leaving a violent partner vary on this spectrum from

emergencyshelterstoprivaterentalaswellasspecificdomesticviolencehousing.The

succeedingdescriptionsareaconsiderationoftheoptionsthatarecurrentlyavailablein


theregion,aswellassomeinnovativemodelsthatarebeingusedelsewherethatmay

warrantattentionforthe localarea. It isabsolutelypertinenttoreviewall themodels

through a lens of abuse related concerns such as safety, available support, and

accessibility. Tutty (2008) identifies five key variables related to housing for women

leavingviolenceincludingsafety,maximumlengthofstay,qualityofhousing,emotional

supportandaccess.Additionalconsiderationsmayincludelocationandfunding.

Non-abuseSpecificShelters

Ononeendofthehousingcontinuumareovernighthomelessshelters.Theseshelters

aredesigned tomeet the immediateneedsofpeoplewhoarehomeless. Sheltersare

generally available at no cost and provided by government, non-profit, faith based

organizationsorvolunteers.Theseshelterstypicallyhaveminimaleligibilitycriteria,and

offersharedsleepingfacilitiesandamenities.Theymayormaynotofferfood,clothing

orotherservices.TherearenohomelesssheltersintheruralregionofHighRiver,and

therearesevensuchsheltersinthecityofCalgary(ABHumanServices,2015).Homeless

sheltersthatprovideaccommodationspecificallyforwomenaremuchlesscommonin

Canada(Tuttyetal.,2008).ThereisonesuchfacilityinCalgary,theYWCAMaryDover

House,whichoffersbedsdedicatedexclusivelyforwomenandchildrenwhoexperience

homelessnessandpoverty(YWCACalgary,2015).

Short-term supportive housing is temporary housing with support provided to assist

clientsmovetowardspermanenthousing.Therearethreesupportivehousingfacilities

inCalgary,andnoneintheHighRiverarea.Long-termsupportivehousingprovidesan

unlimited stay at a facility that provides 24/7 supports for clients. There is one such

facilityinCalgary,andagain,noneinHighRiverandsurroundingruralareas(ABHuman

Services,2015).

Inregardtopermanentrentalaccommodation,thereexistsarangeofmarketandnon-

marketoptionsthatwomenleavingviolencecanapplyforalongwiththegeneralpool

of applicants. The criteria frequentlydependon income levels, andpriorityapplicants

areoftenassessedonavarietyof factorssuchasnumberofdependents,andcurrent

housing situation. There are varying types of non-market options, which are usually

some form of ‘affordable’ housing. This could include social housing, rent geared to

income and subsidized rental programs. These housing terms are often used

interchangeably andoffer similar alternatives, but theyeachhavedistinctmeaning in

theirapplication.

SocialhousingwasfirstdevelopedinCanadawiththeintenttoofferaffordablehousing

to those with low incomes (Tutty et al., 2008). Social housing refers to those

accommodationsthatreceivepublicsubsidiestomaketheunitaffordabletotherenter.

Affordable housing is considered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

(CMHC)tobehousingthatcostlessthan30%ofbeforetaxhouseholdincome.Thecost


ofhousingisconsideredtoincluderentandanyutilitycostssuchaselectricity,fueland

anyothermunicipalcosts(CMHC,2015).This isgenerallythefinancialcriterionthat is

commonly used as a guide by organizations offering different types of social or

affordable housing. There is also a level of acceptable housing that is defined by the

Canadiangovernmentalongthreecriterion:(a)affordability,suchthatdwellingcostless

than30%ofthebeforetaxhousehold income;(b)suitability,suchthatdwellingshave

enough bedrooms per person as defined by National Occupancy Standards and (c)

adequacy,suchthatdwellingsarenotrequiringmajorrepairs(CMHC2009,asquotedin

Ponic,2011).Thesecriteriaarealsousedasguidelinesbyhousingorganizationsinorder

toprovidesafeandaffordablehousingoptions.

InHighRiver and the rural surrounding regions affordablehousing is providedby the

TownofHighRiver,andtheFoothillsFoundation.TheTownofHighRiverhasatotalof

30apartmentunitsavailable.Thereareminimumandmaximumincomelevelstoqualify

forthishousing,andapplicantsmustbeHighRiverresidentsorhavetiestoHighRiver,

for example, family or employment. The Foothills Foundation is a non-profit housing

managementbodythatprovidessafeandaffordablehousingopportunities.Theyown

22 units of affordable housing in the area, ofwhich nine are inOkotoks, six in Black

Diamond,andseven inTurnerValley.Rents for thisparticularhousingare10%below

market rent, and applicantsmust be employed to access it. The Foothills Foundation

alsohas21unitsofsocialhousing,acategoryofaffordablehousing.Theseunitsarerent

geared to income units, which means that the amount of rent paid is based on a

resident’s income. Thereare19units available inOkotoks,one inTurnerValley, and

one in Black Diamond. Income levels for applications are different between

communities, but are generally below $50,000 and the rent paid is 30% of income.

FoothillsFoundationhasnounitsintheTownofHighRiveritself.

The Foothills Foundation also has a subsidy program available. This allows for clients

whoarespendingover60%oftheirincometowardsrentwithtwoormoredependents

toqualify.Thesubsidycanbeappliedtoprivaterentalproperties.Therearecurrently

80householdsinHighRiveronthisprogram,and170householdsacrosstheruralareas

spanningfromBraggCreektoClaresholm.

TheCalgaryHousingcompanyoffersaffordablehousingprogramsinCalgary,ifmoving

tothecityisanoption.

BarriersforWomenaccessingHousing

Thebarrierstohousingthatwomenfaceafterleavinganabusivepartnerarisefromthe

broader context of housing availability and affordability and gendered stereotypes

aboutbatteredwomen(Ponicetal.,2011).Thereareacomplexityofissuessurrounding

domesticviolenceandsafehousing,whichoftenresult in thegeneralhousingoptions


notbeingaviablechoiceforwomenfleeingviolence.Thechallengesrangefrombutare

notinclusiveofaccessibility,safety,income,lackofspecificservicesanddiscrimination.

Althoughtheemergencyservicessuchashomelesssheltersmaybeavailable,theyare

rarelyanoption forwomen fleeingviolence.While theyprovide immediate safetyoff

thestreets,homelesssheltersandshort-termhousingdonotprovidethesamesafety

optionsasdomesticviolencespecific services,nordo theseservicesaddressdomestic

violence inasystematicway(McChesney,1995asquoted inBakeretal.2010).There

are often intrinsic difficulties such as mixing female and male residents in the same

building,minimalsafetyprotocolstoaddressharassment,andmosthomelessshelters

will requirethatresidentsvacatetheshelterduringtheday,makingwomenandtheir

childrenmorevulnerable to stalkingandattack fromanabusivepartner (Bakeretal.,

2010). A number of women believe that their personal safety is at risk in homeless

shelters. American research found that close to one-third (31%) of 99 women who

participated inastudywereassaultedwhilestaying inhomelessshelters (Tuttyetal.,

2008).Somehomelesssheltersdon’tacceptchildren,oritmightnotbeanappropriate

placeforchildren.

Affordableandsubsidizedhousingareanimportantresourceinthehousingcontinuum,

butalsohavesignificantlimitationsforwomen.Thishousingisusuallydifficulttoaccess

mostlybecausewaitinglistscanbeexcessive-weeksorevenyears.Normally,residents

canstayaslongastheywantiftheycontinuetomeettheincomelevelsforhousing,so

thereisoftennotmuchavailability.Withtheoverallhighcostofliving,peoplearenot

movingfromaffordablehousing,andassuch,womenwhodoqualify fortheprogram

are turnedaway simplybecause there isnothousingavailable.Manywomenwillnot

evenbotherapplyingbecausethewaittimesareunreasonable.

LackofappropriateServices

Perhapsoneofthelargestdownfallsofaffordablehousingpertainingtowomenleaving

violence, is the lackofdomesticviolencespecific interventionsuchassafetyplanning,

advocacy,andreferralstootherservices.Womenmustseekoutservicesontheirown,

or they go without, which may compromise their ability to resolve their issues and

maintaintheirhousing(Bakeretal.,2010).Withnoconnectiontoservicesorsupports,

it may feel socially isolating for women especially if they have already experienced

forced isolation fromtheirabusers (Bakeretal.,2010).Housingprovidersare focused

onamovetostablehousing,butoftenhavelittleknowledgeorexpertise inproviding

services to survivors and have huge limitations in meeting the complex needs of

domestic violence survivors. Participants in an American study observed that service

providers working in housing were often under resourced and unable to respond

effectively to the safety and housing needs of survivors (Clough et al., 2013). These

same participants also identified the importance of a variety of support services


specifically tailored to address their needs, mainly the importance of trained,

compassionateserviceproviders(Cloughetal.,2013).

Income

Notsurprisingly, income isacritical issue in theability tomaintainhousing. Income is

often one of the largest barriers for women leaving an abusive partner and seeking

housing. Financial abuse is a common tactic used by perpetrators of violence to gain

powerandcontrolovertheirpartner,andisoftenusedbytheperpetratortoreinforce

physical and sexualized violence. Financial abusemay be present throughout, ormay

becomepresentonceavictimleavesapartner.Somemethodsthatabusersusetogain

financialcontrolovertheirvictiminclude:intentionallywithholdingorlimitingfinances;

threateningtopunishthevictimiftheyspendmoney;forcingthevictimtoobtaincredit

thenruiningtheircredit rating;runningup largeamountofdebton jointaccounts;or

refusing to pay court ordered child support. Financial abuse often getsworse once a

victimhaslefttheabusivepartner,resultinginhugebarrierstowardsindependencefor

women and their children. Victims of domestic violence often site that concern over

their ability to provide financially for themselves and their children is one of the top

reasons forstayingwithanabusivepartner.Limitedavailabilityofaffordableandsafe

housing in the rental market combined with on-going financial hardship sometimes

becameaninsurmountablebarrier(Cloughetal.,2013).InanACWSstudy,overhalfof

thewomenstayinginemergencysheltersreturnedtotheabusivepartner,42%because

of a lack of affordable housing and 45% because of lack ofmoney (Hoffart& Cairns,

2011 as quoted in Hoffart, 2014). Financial abuse may include control of the rental

lease,credit,orutilitybills.Theabusermayhavethemallundertheirownname,which

canresultinhavingnocredithistoryandnolandlordreferences.Alternativelytheymay

put everything under her name and then not pay the bills, or damage the property,

leaving her with poor references and bad credit and/or large debt. Both of these

scenariosresultinhugebarrierstoindependenthousingforvictims.

Inadditiontosomeofthemoreoverttactics,financialabusemaybeinclusiveofabuse

around employment. The abuser may refuse to allow the victim to work or attend

schooltoopenupemploymentopportunities,ortheymayinterferewithvictim’swork

performancebyharassingthemattheworkplace,resultinginaninabilitytokeepajob.

Thesetacticsmayresultinpooremploymentreferencesandlittleexperience,makingit

difficulttogainemploymentwhenseparationoccurs.Victimsmayalsohavedifficultyin

findinglivingwagejobsthatresultfromlimitedjobexperience.Stayingemployedafter

separation can be difficult because victimsmay be dealingwith on-going violence, or

managing trauma, both of which can compromise steady attendance and work

performance. Past exposure to domestic violence has been linked to future

unemployment and poverty forwomen (Byrne et al., 1999 as quoted in Baker et al.,

2010). Inasampleofwomenwithabusivepartners,approximately50%of thosewho


worked reported losing a job because of the actions of the abuser (Riger, Ahrens, &

Blickenstanff,2000asquotedinBakeretal,2010).

Forwomenonsocialassistance,thereareanumberofbarriers.Womancannotafford

toliveonthedollaramountsthatareprovided.Rentalratesforsocialassistanceneed

to reflectmarket realities (ACWS, 2015b). Income supportpaymentsdonot generally

meetthesubsistencecostsforfoodandshelter(DuMont&Miller,2000asquotedin

Tuttyetal.,2008).Albertahasthelowestincomepaymentsinthecountry;forexample,

awomanwithonechildreceives48%ofwhatonemustmaketomeetthepovertyline

(Tuttyetal.,2008). Inadditiontothelowincomerates,manyhousingpoliciesrequire

that residents be employed to meet the criteria for affordable housing, which for

womenonsocialassistancebecomesabarriertoapplication.

AlthoughRowanHousedoesnotspecificallydocument financial informationofclients

upon intake, the economic hardship of women leaving abuse are well documented

elsewhere. A ten year analysis of women who use shelters in Alberta showed that

unemployed women made up an increasing proportion of the shelter population

overall,risingfrom69%in2006toabout75%in2010(ACWS,2012).ACWSreportsthat

the overall population of Aboriginal women and women of other backgrounds (i.e.

immigrantsrefuges,visibleminorities)usingAlberta’sheltershasincreasedfrom64%of

theshelterpopulation in2003toabout71%in2012(ACWS,2012).Thesetwogroupshave lower employment rates and income levels related to lack of employment

opportunities, discrimination, and cultural and language barriers. Statistics Canada

reports thatseven in10respondentswhoreportedbeingavictimofspousalviolence

saidthattheyhadalsoexperiencedemotionalandorfinancialabuse(StatisticsCanada,

2011).Theoverall rateofpoverty inAlberta,meaning those livingbelowLow Income

CutOff (LICO), is 12%,with females experiencing an incidence of 13%, slightly higher

relative to the male rate of poverty of 12% (AHS, 2013). These numbers have

implications for shelter service requirements, increasing the emphasis on assisting

women with childcare, affordable housing, employment opportunities and other

sourcesofincomesupport(ACWS,2012).

Discrimination

Womenwhoarelookingforhousingoftenfacestigma,discrimination,andstereotypes.

Particularlywhen lookingatmarket rentalsmanagedbyprivate landlordsorproperty

managers, severalstudieshavesuggestedthatabusedwomennotonlyhavedifficulty

findingsafeandaffordablehousing,butalsofacesignificantdiscriminationbylandlords

who know that they are fleeing abuse (Tutty et al., 2008). A recent Canadian study

showsthathousingdiscriminationforabusedwomenexistsintheprivaterentalmarket

(Ponicetal.,2011).Thestudydeterminedthat landlordsaresignificantly less likely to

rent towomenwho said theywere staying at awomen’s shelter. Landlords assumed

that awoman in this situationwill have difficulty paying rent, or thatwomenwould


bring problems or danger to the unit (Ponic et al., 2011). Landlords in another study

wereseentobedisrespectfulortookadvantageofwomen’surgenthousingsituationby

requiring additional fees as a deposit (Clough et al., 2013). In yet another Canadian

study,womendisclosedthattheyhaveexperiencedabusebylandlordsonceinarental

situation.Thestudyshowedthat landlordswerenotalwaysrespectfulof theirprivacy

andsomewomenreportedhavinglandlordsorpropertymanagerswhothreatenthem

withevictionunlesstheyhadsexwithhim,orofferedtoforgivearrearsinreturnforsex

(Tuttyetal.,2008).

Victim blaming is still widespread in society when it comes to women and violence.

Misrepresentation of victims and perpetrators is pervasive. In both professional and

publicdiscourse, language isoftenused inawaythatconcealsviolence,obscuresand

mitigates perpetrators’ responsibility, conceals victims’ resistance, and blames or

pathologizesvictims (Coates,Todd&Wade,2000;Coates&Wade,2002asquoted in

Wade,2003).Manywilloftenjudgeandblamewomenforpoorchoiceswhentheyare

leavingaviolentpartner.Communitymembersoftenplacemorenegativejudgmentson

homeless women, seeing them as individuals who have made a wide range of poor

choices, and therefore less deserving of help (Tutty et al. 2008).Women are all too

aware of this discrimination against them, and will therefore often not provide

information to landlords or housing authorities for fear of being turned down for a

possiblehousingopportunity.Thisbringsaboutfurtherriskforwomenaswithoutthis

informationtheessentialsupportsaroundsafetyarenotestablished.

SafetyafterSeparation

It iswell documented that awoman is at elevated level of riskwhen shemakes the

decision to leave a violent partner. Women and children’s safety is statistically at

greatestriskwhentheyhaveleftanabusivepartneranditisthetimewhenwomenand

children are more likely to be killed (Ellis, 1992, as quoted in Tutty et al., 2008).

Separation fromanabuser isanestablished risk factor forbeingkilledbyan intimate

partner(Campbelletal.,2003asquotedinBakeretal.2010).Whenwomenleavetheir

abusivepartners, theyareanestimatedsix timesmore likely tobemurderedbytheir

intimate abusive partner (Statistics Canada, 1998, as quoted in Tutty et al., 2008).

Women are alsomore likely to be stalked or harassed once they leave their partner.

Women and their support workers consistently describe the severe levels of threats,

violenceandintimidationthatwomenexperience,lastingforyearsaftertheseparation

from an abusive partner (O’Connor, 2006, Homes for Women, 2013, as quoted in

Hoffart,2014).

MostsheltersinAlbertanowcollectdatawithrespecttoawomen’sriskoffemicide,the

likelihoodofbeingkilledbyherintimatepartner.Thisinformationiscollectedthrougha

researchedbasedtoolcalledtheDangerAssessment,aninstrumentdesignedtoassess

the likelihood of lethality or near lethality occurring in a case of intimate partner


violence (Campbell,Webster, & Glass, 2009). The tool uses weighted scoring and an

interpretationofknownriskfactors.MostshelterworkersinAlbertaarenowtrainedin

theuseof theDangerAssessmentandscoresarerecorded inorder to trackwomen’s

risk levels.Since thisdatacollectionbegan, ithasbeenshownthatbetween70%and

80%ofwomeninAlbertasheltersarein‘serioustosevere’rangewithrespecttoriskof

femicide(Cairns&Hoffart,2009,asquotedinHoffart,2014).TheACWShasaggregated

datafromtheDangerAssessmentandfoundthatduringthe2013-2014fiscalreporting

period, 797women completed a Danger Assessment in emergency and second-stage

shelters, and66%of thesewomen’s scores indicated theywereat severeorextreme

risk of femicide (ACWS, 2012). These numbers are significant and point to the

compelling fact thatsafetyandsecurity is firstand foremost the largestconsideration

forwomenleavingviolence.Abusedwomenoftenunderestimatethepotentialfortheir

own homicide (Campbell et al., 2009). This point speaks to the need for specialty

serviceswherestaffaretrainedintheDangerAssessmenttoensureknowledgeableand

effectivesafetyplanning.

ThesocialhousingapproachesusedinbothCanadaandtheUnitedStatesarebasedon

theideaofhelpingthoseingreatestneed.Thisapproachtendstosegregatepeopleby

classandgenderbytargetinglowincomehouseholdsintohousingprojects,whichcan

inturnincreasethevulnerabilityofsomewomen.Womenmayalsotrytoenhancetheir

safetybyspendingalargerproportionoftheirincomeonrentinordertoliveinabetter

neighbourhood (Tutty et al., 2008). Conversely, they may look at less desirable

properties inprivate rental to findsomething theycanafford.Manyof theaffordable

community housing options do not include the appropriate safety measures such as

security systems, secure neighbourhoods, and restricted access. Even if requested

housingprogramswillnotmakechangestosecuritysystems,duetolackoffunding,or

evendue topolicy. These communityproperties arenot appropriate forwomenwho

areathighlevelsofriskforseverephysicalviolence.Onceinaffordablehousingwomen

may be discouraged or even afraid to call the police for fear of being evicted due to

noise complaints, or causing trouble. Housing authorities do not proactively support

womenaroundtheirsafety.

The choice of housing when looking at private or affordable housing must take into

consideration location and must be guided by safety of women and children. Safe

accommodation is essential in order tomake a successfulmove away from a violent

partner.Thelocationofaffordableorcommunityhousingisoftennotsafe,andmaybe

easilyidentifiabletotheabuser.

RowanHousehasbeencollectingdatawith respect to risk levels since2013,and this

dataindicatesthatthewomenaccessingRowanHouseareatproportionallysimilarrisk

levelstowomenacrosstheprovince.In2013,72%ofwomenatRowanHousewereat

serioustoseverelevelsofriskforlethalityorseverephysicalviolence,65%in2014and

100% to date in 2015 (Rowan House statistics, 2013, 2014, 2015). The unique safety

needsofabusedwomen,especiallythosewhosepartnersremainthreats,mustbethe


coreissuewhenconsideringhousing(Tuttyetal.,2008).Theassociationbetweenhigher

DangerAssessmentscoresandthelikelihoodthatawomancannotfindsafehousingis

concerning because women’s safety should be the primary goal of housing. Rowan

Housestaffhaveobservedthatwomenoftendon’tunderstandtheirownriskuntilthey

haveenteredtheshelteranddonetheassessmentwiththem.RowanHousestaffhave

remarked thatmanywomen score high on the Danger Assessment, observing that it

wouldn’tbesafeforthemtorentahouseinthecommunity.RowanHouse’sExecutive

Directorcitesa recentexampleofaclientwhoseabusivepartnerhadalreadytracked

her down at a previous emergency shelter where shewas staying: “Although Rowan

Houseisareasonablysafeplacebecauseofsecurityandvigilanceofstaff,theconcernis

whatwilloccuroncesheleavestheshelter”.Figure1belowdisplaysdangerassessment

levelsofwomenusingRowanHousesince2013. Itshowsthatoverall,74%ofwomen

whoareintheshelterprogramareat‘SeveretoExtreme’risk.

Figure3:DangerAssessmentscoresforwomenUsingShelter

TraumaandHealth

Trauma and its related health implicationsmust be a considerationwhen taking into

accounthousingoptionsforwomen.Womencanoftenexperienceamultitudeofboth

physical andmental health concerns related to the traumaand abuse that theyhave

experienced. This can impair their ability to work, seek housing, and make good

decisions (Baker et al., 2010). A woman may be managing her own as well as her

children’smentalhealthandphysicalneedsrelatedtotheabuseshehasexperienced.

Variable4%

23% Increased

16% Severe

58%Extreme

RiskLevel

Variable

Increased

Severe

Extreme


Forwomenundertheageof45years,intimatepartnerviolencehasagreaterimpacton

health than any other risk factors, including obesity, high cholesterol, high blood

pressureandillicitdruguse(Cherniaket.al.,2005ascitedinUrselandBertrand,2009,

ascitedinACWS,n.d.).TheWomen’sHealthEffectsStudyof309Canadianwomenwho

hadleftanabusivepartnerwithinthepast6years,showedthat82%hadat leastone

activemedicaldiagnosis,33%wereexperiencingchronicdisablingpain,57.6%hadhigh

leveldepressivesymptoms,and48%hadsymptomsofposttraumaticstressdisorder.In

addition,morethanhalfofthesewomenreportedfatigue,feelingworried,feelingsad,

difficulty sleeping, back pain, headaches, difficulty concentrating, general aches and

pains,andbowelproblems (Canadian InstitutesofHealthResearch,ascited inACWS,

n.d.).OneCanadian study reports that asmany as 30%of allwomenwho come into

hospitalemergency roomsare therewith injuries related to intimatepartnerviolence

(Basen,2004,asquotedinACWS,n.d.).

Substance abuse and addictions are not uncommon for women who experience

intimate partner violence. Health issues related to overuse of substances may be a

responsetostresstheyareexperiencing.Aggregateddata(2010)fromACWSforAlberta

shelters shows that 28% of women reported having an addiction at the time of

admission,including8%identifyingmultipleaddictions(ACWS,n.d.).

Womenmay also experience health concerns directly related to the abuse. In some

caseswomenand childrenhavehad insufficientornohealth care for longperiodsof

time due to control over their personal health care choices by the abusive partner

(ACWS, n.d.). Alberta women’s shelters have observed personal health care choices

beingcontrolledinvariouswayssuchastheamountoffoodtheyeat,accesstohealth

services in general, cancelling their Alberta Health Care card and abuse around

reproductivechoicesandhealthsuchasforcedabortion,notbeingallowedtousebirth

control,ornoaccesstoprenatalcare(ACWS,n.d.).

Health is also comprised further by a number of factors: discrimination that women

experience by health service providers because of judgment regarding their

presentations on their circumstances; assumptions from health services professionals

thatwomanaredrugseekingwhenitisnotthecase;womenmaybeoverwhelmedby

their circumstances and experiencing anxiety about interactions with health

professionals;and,areluctancetogotoEmergencyastheyarevulnerableandafraidof

the questions they might be asked (ACWS, n.d.). Education to address attitudes and

beliefsrelatedtowomen’sandchildren’sinvolvementindomesticviolenceisneeded.

It is vital that there be a better understanding thatmanyof thehealth concerns and

illnesses experiencedbywomenbeunderstood as a natural response to the violence

and trauma that women and children have experienced.Without the context of the

violencewomenhaveexperienced,manyofthesehealthconcernsareeasilymistaken

formental health, attention seeking behaviour, drug seeking behaviour, poor choices

etc.Many of theways in whichwomen resist abuse have been ignored or recast as


pathology (Wade, 1997). When service providers do not bring an understanding of

trauma and how certain symptoms demonstrate a response to trauma, misdiagnosis

andinadequatetreatmentwillresult.Servicesmustbespecifictomeetvictims’needs.

Understanding these symptoms as responseswill assistwomen to rebuild a sense of

controlandempowermentandwillhelpwomenunderstandtheconnectionsbetween

their experienceof traumaand their current strategies for coping, both adaptive and

maladaptive. Engaging women in conversations about the details of their resistance

helpswomenexperiencethemselvesasmorecapableofrespondingeffectively(Wade,

1997).

SupportandParenting

Ifwomenaregoingtobeabletosuccessfullyrebuildtheirlivesafterleavinganabusive

partner, they need to be able to access affordable and reliable childcare. The lack of

affordable childcare can result in the inability of women to access social services

necessarytofindaffordablehousing.Ifforexample,theperpetratorrefusestopaychild

support,thenthewomanmaynothavetheabilitytomakeherrentoncesheisonher

own.Shemaynotqualifyforhousingbecauseofmatrimonialassets.

Women with children who become homeless or who are forced into living in

inappropriate housing are at risk of child protection involvement. Canadian research

showsthatwomen’schildrenarebeingapprehendedifthewomenarehomelessorare

living in substandardhousing (Tutty et al., 2008).Whitzman’s (2006) study inOntario

indicated that the two major reasons that women hide their homelessness were to

avoid child welfare involvement and to protect their children from teasing at school

(Tuttyetal.,2008).Hidingthehousingissuesmayinvolvelivingininappropriateareas,

orlyingtohousingauthorities,whicheventuallymayresultinevictionanyway.

Policies/Criteria

Overorunderhousingmaybeabarrier forwomenwithchildren.Housingauthorities

follow standards for the number of rooms that are appropriate for families. The

standardsdictatethatawomanwiththreechildrenshouldbehousedinafourbedroom

unit, although, it may be appropriate for two of the children to share a room.

Inflexibility of the housing standards have denied many women housing, when

essentiallythehousingwouldhavebeensuitable.

Priorityaccess israreforabusedwomeninaffordablehousing. Inordertogetpriority

withgeneralhousingauthorities(whichisneverguaranteed),orinordertogetfinancial

assistance from fleeing violence,manywomen are asked to provide proof they have

been abused with documentation such as police or medical reports. This obviously


excludes the vastmajority ofwomenwho do not contact police regarding a physical

assault,andwomenwhosepartnersarenotprimarilyphysicallyabusive.

Forwomenleavingaviolentpartnerwhoareunemployed,oronasingle incomethey

oftenwill notmeet theminimum income levels toqualify for someof the affordable

housing.And their income levelsbecomeamajor factor in leaving theabuse.Human

ServicesinAlbertawillprovideasmallfinancialbenefitforwomeninordertocoverthe

costofestablishingaresidenceinthecommunityinordertoremainindependentofthe

abuser.Awomanmaybeeligible foraonetimeallowanceof$1,000 for thispurpose

(HumanServices,2015).Thispolicyisintendedtoensuretheongoingsafetyofvictims

of abuse. The policy states that a verbal substantiation from the client or workers

knowledge is needed, and if in doubt, evidence from another professional source is

needed, i.e.police,physician,women’s shelter (ABHumanServices,2015).Thispolicy

canactually inadvertentlyworkagainstwomen’ssafety.Manyfront lineworkershave

reportedchallengeswithwomennotbeingbelievedbyworkersandneedingsupportof

aprofessional toprove their circumstances inorder to receive thisbenefit.Awoman

maynothavehadanypoliceormedical involvement, andmaynothaveprofessional

involvementtoadvocateforthem.Thepolicythenunintentionallycreatesbarriersfor

this support. Clough (2013) reports that participants in her study often felt

overwhelmedbythesocialserviceagencybureaucracy.

Municipalitieswhooverseehousing,suchastheTownofHighRiver,oftenhavecriteria

that includes proving their residency before theywill be considered for housing. Yet,

manywomenfleeingparticularlydangerouspartnerswillmoveacrossthecountryinan

effort to remain hidden from them. In addition, women whose communities do not

have shelter will have to go somewhere else, and then they are not considered

residents.Thesepoliciesdonotseektosupportormakewelcomewomenfromother

communities.Womenwouldhavefewerbarriersifthesecriteria/policieswereflexible.

Policies related to having rent arrears also create barriers. Some housing authorities

requireacleanrentalrecordforaminimumoftwelvemonths.Somewomenmayhave

livedwith their partners in social housing, butwhen they try to establish a separate

hometheyareheldresponsiblefortheirabusivepartner’sbehaviour ifhedidnotpay

therentorifhedamagedtheunit.

RuralConsiderations

Thenatureof rural shelters leaves further considerations.Rural areas in theprovince

see additional challenges around services. Rural shelters may experience increased

demand for broader services fromwomenwho, in addition to a history of domestic

violence,alsoexperienceothermultitudeofissuessuchashomelessness,poverty,lack

of available housing, mental health and addictions. In rural areas these additional

specific services are often not available, placing further burden on shelters to offer


these supports to women. The responsibility to accommodate these diverse needs

placesadditionalpressureforstafftrainingtobemoreencompassing.

Women who live in remote or rural Canadian communities and are abused by their

partnerstendtohavefewalternativessincesheltersorotherviolenceagainstwomen

servicesaremoredifficulttoaccess.Basedonpercapita, thefundingforshelterbeds

maybelowerduetopopulation,whichmeansbedsareoftennotavailable.Maintaining

confidentialityoranonymity,particularly incommunityhousing, isdifficultandaffects

hersafety.Nothavingacartodriveelsewheretoaccessservices,generaltransportation

islacking.Limitedtransportationisoftenidentifiedasabarriertoleaving(Novac,2006).

ConsiderationsforImmigrantWomenandAboriginalWomen

The overall population of Aboriginal women and women of other backgrounds (e.g.

immigrants, refuges, visibleminorities, etc.) usingAlberta’s shelters rose from64%of

theshelterpopulation in2003toabout71%in2012(ACWS,2012).Thesetwogroups

have lower employment rates and income levels related to lack of employment

opportunities,discrimination,andculturalandlanguagebarriers.

Immigrant and refugeewomenmay lack social supports that could provide alternate

housingoptionsandresourcesforthem.Immigrantwomenwhoaresponsoredbytheir

husbandsmay jeopardize their immigration status if they leave their spouse.Women

maybe toldby their partners that if they leave,he’ll break sponsorship and she’ll be

deported.Ortheyjustdon’tknowtheirlegalrights(Tuttyetal,2007).Inaddition,they

do not generally qualify for social services, financial support, and affordable or

subsidizedhousingiftheyarenotpermanentresidents.Theremaybelanguagebarriers

tobecomingindependent,especiallyisherpartnerisolatedherfromlanguageclasses.

Aboriginal women using Alberta’s shelters come with unique characteristics,

experiences and needs when compared to women from other backgrounds on a

number of important variables. The additional barriers for Aboriginal women and

childrenaccessingshelteraremultipleandcomplex. It iswidelyknownthatAboriginal

womenaremorelikelytoliveinasocialenvironmentinwhichsubstanceabuse,spousal

violence,lackofhousingandpovertyarewidespread.Closetohalf(48%)ofAboriginal

womenwho experienced violence by a current or former partner, reported themost

severe forms of violence, such as being sexually assaulted, beaten, choked, or

threatened with a gun or a knife (Brennan, 2011). It is of significance that a larger

proportion of Aboriginal women (72%) scores indicated that they were at severe or

extreme risk of femicide, compared towomenwith European origins (68%) and non-

Europeanandnon-Aboriginalwomen(53%)(ACWS,2012). DiscriminationforAboriginal

women and children is rampant within our municipalities, our province, our country

both at societal levels and legislative levels. Aboriginalwomen and their children are

sometimes deemed ineligible for provincial support due to their First Nations status,


while at the same time their Band does not provide support leaving them without

support due to jurisdictional disputes (ACWS, 2012). Aboriginal women with First

Nations Status often face institutional discrimination in the guise jurisdictional

responsibility(Tuttyetal.,2008).

Shelter service provision must reflect the unique experiences of Aboriginal and

immigrantwomen. Creating cultural sensitivity and competency amongst shelter staff

ensuresaninclusivesettingforallwomenandchildren.Fromapracticeperspective,itis

important to emphasis knowledgeof front lineworkers, and acceptance of individual

uniqueness. Inherent in this is staff being able to recognizing their own biases and

prejudice.Thecomplexcombinationofabusetypesemphasizestheneedforacareful

and comprehensive assessment of each woman’s circumstances to inform shelter

services.

DomesticViolenceSpecificHousing

Inadditiontothegeneralnon-abusespecifichousingoptionsforwomen,thereexistsa

spectrum of specific domestic violence support in Alberta and across Canada. This

support includesa continuumofhousingoptionsand services ranging fromcrisis and

emergency through to community housing that are exclusive to women leaving

violence. The terminology varies slightly across Canada to identify similar types of

sheltersandservices,andthetypesofservicesalsovaryslightly.Women’semergency

shelters, as they are most commonly known in Alberta, are also referred to as safe

homesortransitionhousesinBritishColumbia.Second-stagesheltersarealsoreferred

to as transitional housing. There also exists a category ofwhat is referred to as third

stage shelter housing, andmany shelters also offer community outreach services and

supportforhousing.Thefactisthatthebulkoftheeffortstoprovidehousingtoabused

womenstillfallwithintherealmofemergencyfacilities,primarilyonthegroundsoflack

offunding.

Women’sEmergencyShelters

Theinstitutionalandthegrassrootsresponsetoabusehasbeentodevelopsheltersto

provideatleasttemporarysafetyandservice(Tuttyetal.,2008).Thereisnodoubtthat

emergency shelters forwomen leaving abuse are an essential life saving resource for

manyvictims(Bakeretal.,2010).Women’sshelterscanoftenbeafirststepinalonger

journey to accessing resources for long-term safety and stability. Women’s shelters

provide a high security environment forwomen and children leaving family violence.

They provide basic crisis services including safe accommodation, meals, information,

safetyplanning,referral,supportandadvocacy.Specificprogramsforchildrenexposed

to intimate partner abuse are now common, as well as prevention and education

programming. The accommodations are often a shared room, with some offering


privateorfamilyrooms.Emergencysheltersareintendedtobeshort-termresourcesfor

womenandinAlberta,the21daylengthofstayisoftendictatedbyfunding.Albertahas

theshortestmaximumlengthsofstayinCanada(Tuttyetal.,2008),with30daysbeing

theaverage,andstaysvarying froma fewweeks toa fewmonths.DomesticViolence

sheltershelptomitigateriskatvariouslevelsandoffersupporttowomenandchildren

so they can be empowered tomake decisions that support their safety. Services are

entirelycommittedtotheneedsofthosewhohavebeenabused.

Asdescribedearlierinthedocumentundertheneedsection,womenareoftenturned

away from shelters due to capacity issues, and shelters across Alberta have been

consistently turningawaymorewomenthan theyadmit. Increased lengthsof stays in

sheltersisresultinginlesscapacityfortheincreaseddemandandthefactisthatmany

women cannot even access emergency shelters when needed. Coupled with these

availability issues, shelters often have limitations around rules and policies. It is not

uncommonforshelters toscreenoutwomenwithactivealcoholanddrugaddictions,

suicidalideation,oractivementalhealthconcerns.Whilethesepracticesareinplacein

residentialfacilitiestoensurethesafetyandhealthofwomenandtheirchildren,they

may also pose barriers to women in need of housing services. Shelters often have

evening curfews, no overnight guests, no alcohol, and require thatwomen submit to

housinginspections.Exclusionarycriteriaarecommonalsoinrelationtofunding(21day

maximumstay),andmandatedprogrammingwhileinthefacility.Sheltersdonotoften

accept young boys over a certain age, so women with teenage sons either have to

separatefromtheirsonsorfindanotheralternative.

TherearesixEmergencySheltersinCalgaryandareawithatotalof191bedsavailable.

Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter (50), YWCA Sheriff King (42), Awotaan Healing

Lodge (27), Wheatland Shelter in Strathmore (25), Eagles Nest in Morley (23), and

RowanHouse (24).Thereare38women’semergencyshelters inAlberta,andallhave

contractswith theprovincial government for funding.Aboriginal Shelters also receive

fundingfromthefederalgovernment.Thenumberoffederallyandprovinciallyfunded

beds in Alberta was 616 in 2010, 631 in 2012, and 710 in 2014 (ACWS, 2014b). The

fundingthatmostsheltersreceivefromtheirprovincialgovernmentshasnevercovered

thetotalcostofprovidingshelter(Tutty,2006).Sheltersaretypicallyreimbursedfor65

to80%of theircosts,withtherestmadeupfromfund-raisingactivities (Tutty,2006).

Mostsheltersstruggletomakedowith limitedresources.Lackof fundingtowomen’s

shelters is a severe enough problem that it has received international attention. The

OfficeoftheHighCommissionerforHumanRightsoftheUnitedNationsrecommended

thatalllevelsofgovernmentinCanadaincrease“itseffortstocombatviolenceagainst

women and girls and increase its funding for women’s crisis centres and shelters in

ordertoaddresstheneedsofwomenvictimsofviolence”(Tuttyetal.,2008).


Second-StageShelter

Thevisionandmissionofsecond-stagesheltersacrosstheprovincearesimilar, inthat

they all strive for communities that are safe and free of family violence, and provide

specialized residential services forabusedwomenandchildren toenable themto live

safelyandhavelong-termstabilityinthecommunity.

Theoptionofsecond-stagehousingprovideswomenwitha transitionalstepbetween

theshort-termmeasuresofanemergencyshelterandliving independentlyandsafely.

Second-stagesheltersarealongertermhousingoptionforwomenthatstillprovidethe

extra security and ongoing support services such as longer term counselling and

advocacy. Typically, they are apartment style residences where women and their

childrenhavetheirownspacetolivewiththeaddedcomfortofsecurity.Lengthofstays

vary but are often between 6months and 2 years. Alberta refers to this housing as

second-stagehousing,anditisalsoreferredtoastransitionalhousinginotherpartsof

Canada and the States. They vary in services and set up, but all act as a step in the

journeyafteremergencyshelterpriortoindependentliving.Therearecurrentlytwelve

second-stagesheltersinAlberta(Hoffart,2014).

Second-stage sheltersoffernotonly thephysical safety that somewomenneed, they

offer the emotional support for women while they rebuild their lives. Second-stage

shelterswilloftenkeeptherentalleaseandutilitiesintheprogram’snameinorderto

make it more difficult for the abusive partner to find the woman. The services at

second-stage shelters vary but generally offer long-term practical support around

transit,foodandnecessities,counselling,workshopsandprogramming,ongoingsafety

planning, assistance with child care, support, advocacy and referral around custody

issues, legal advice, financial aid, employment and education. Services are specifically

tailoredtowomenleavingviolence,toempoweringwomentowardsindependenceand

a life free from violence. Wrap around services refer to special domestic violence

interventions thatensurewomenandchildren’s safety,andprovidespecificprograms

forwomenandchildrensupportingtheirhealingfromtrauma,lifeskillsandeducation

programming supportingwomen tobecomeeconomically self-sufficient and specialist

addiction and mental health programming. Services are often on site. Staff are

knowledgeable in the complexities of violence against women and trained in safety

assessment and planning. An evaluation of 68 second-stage shelters in Canada

concluded in general thatwomenwho had stayed in the second-stage facilitieswere

highly satisfied compared to those who had accessed other assisted housing options

(Tuttyetal.,2008).

Aswithemergencyshelters,second-stagesheltersareoftenfullanddifficulttoaccess.

Similar to emergency shelters in Alberta, second-stage shelters have seen a marked

increase in the average length of stay. Second-stage shelters saw a 10% increase in

length of stay across Alberta in 2012-2013 (ACWS, 2014b). Waiting lists for these

accommodations can vary, but canbe as high as 24months. Someprogramswill not


havewaiting lists at all becausemostwomen cannotwait that long andneed to find

other options. There are other limitations to second-stage shelters. Second-stage

shelters are less common than emergency shelters, and as such, preference is often

given towomen at high risk from their previous partners. There are 13 second-stage

sheltersinAlbertaascomparedto38emergencysheltersintheprovince(ACWS).This

fact may exclude some women whose risk level is lower. Second-stage shelters also

have exclusions similar to emergency shelters such as no alcohol or drugs,mandated

programming,andmanysheltersareunabletomeettheneedsofwomenwithserious

mentalhealthconcerns.Somerequirewomentomeetcriteriasuchasasuccessfulstay

at an emergency shelter, which excludes women who may have stayed elsewhere

duringtheircrisisperiodsuchasatafriend’sorfamily’splace.Rulesandpoliciessetin

placeoftenhavetheconsequenceofcreatingbarriersforwomentoaccessthishousing

option.Althoughanimportantresource,second-stagehousingisstilllimited.

ACWSidentifiesalackofclaritysurroundingtheterminology.Oneofthechallengesof

thework of second-stage shelters is the lack of clarity associatedwith how the term

‘second-stage shelter’ is defined and understood by different audiences, including

fundersandthegeneralpublic(Hoffart,2014).Thegovernmentaswellasotherfunding

bodies use multiple definitions to define different types of housing, none of which

reflectthegenderednatureofhomelessnessforwomenleavingviolence.Nordothey

describethecontinuumofworkbeingofferedbyshelters.ACWSwithsixteenmember

associations have worked together since 2010 to provide support for second-stage

shelters to develop a common logic model. The work represented a significant time

investment by the eight participating shelters, and the success in creating a common

logic model is a step towards improving their individual and group capacity to

implementknowledge-based improvement toservices forwomenandchildren.ACWS

and eighteen of its member organizations are currently engaged in a second-stage

Shelter Project, to collectively develop strategies that will promote common

understanding of and support for second-stage shelters in Alberta. The Second-stage

Shelterprojectisintendedtodescribetheworkofthesecond-stageshelterssuchthat

theirworkcanbeunderstoodandappropriatelyplacedwithinthespectrumofdomestic

violenceandhousingservices.RowanHouseparticipatesinthisgroupeventhoughitis

notcurrentlyclassifiedashavingasecond-stageshelter.Thisprojectwouldserveasa

positiveforanynewsecond-stagesheltersintheprovince.Second-stagehousingisstill

a relatively short-term solution. Itmust be recognized thatmany familieswill require

financialsupporttomakethetransitionintopermanenthousing.

Therearecurrently threesecond-stageshelters in theCalgaryarea,all threeofwhich

are located inthecityofCalgary.DiscoveryHousewasopened in1980bycommunity

members who recognized that many women and children need long-term shelter to

cope with the consequences of domestic violence. It has grown from its original

capacity,fromsevenapartmentstonineteenfamilyunitswith56beds.DiscoveryHouse

wasthefirstinCanadatoapplythehousingfirstmodeltodomesticabusesituations.


Sonshineopenedin1978RiverParkChurchtoservehomelessindividualsandfamilies.

In1989thedecisionwasmadetoexclusivelyprovidelong-termresidentialsupportfor

womenandchildren fleeingdomesticabuse.By2007theyexpandedcapacity tooffer

24 shelter spaces. In 2008 they included an outreach component to help women

transitionback to thecommunity.More recentlySonshineopeneda children’s centre

gearedtowardsmeetingtheuniqueneedsofchildrenwhohaveexperienceddomestic

violenceandotherformsofemotionaltrauma.

TheBrendaStraffordSocietyforthePreventionofDomesticViolencewasestablishedin

1996 when it became apparent there was a dire need in Calgary for longer-term

accommodation for women leaving emergency shelters. They offer a second-stage

shelter, providing individual, group and family counselling. It has 28 two-bedroom

apartments and six single apartments. They also offer a program called Progressive

Housing Program consisting of 51 two-bedroom units. It is intended to be more

independentyetstillprovideadequatesupport.Familiesstayanaverage24monthsin

thisprogram.Atwhichtimetheyaresupportedtotransitionintothecommunity.

Second-stage housing does not receive core funding from the government for its

programming, which makes it difficult to achieve sustainability. Many second-stage

programsspendmuchtimeandenergyongrantingapplicationsandfundraising.Most

second-stage programs receive rent payments from their clients. In Calgary second-

stage shelters charge residents the same rent as those who qualify for subsidized

housing, which tends to be 30% of one’s gross income. The funding dilemma is that

while they collect some rent money from tenants, these fees still do not cover the

operational costs. While all of the emergency shelters receive funding there are

currently only two shelters (one in Calgary, one in Edmonton) out of 13 shelters in

Alberta that receive some funding from the government. With a recent change in

provincialgovernment,somefundinghas justbeenreleasedtoestablishsecond-stage

housingprograms.

*UpdateonSecond-StageFunding

On September 23, 2015 the Alberta government announced additional funds for

women’s shelters. Included in this historic funding increase are targeted dollars for

second-stage shelters, operational increases for emergency shelters, child trauma

counselors, specialized housing and support services staff working in shelter and an

increase in the fee for service agreement with on-reserve shelters (ACWS web site,

mediarelease).ACWShasbeenadvocatingforsustainedcorefundingforsecond-stage

women’ssheltersformorethanaquartercentury.Priortothisfundingannouncement,

only two (out of 13) second-stage shelters in Alberta received provincial government

fundingintheformof30-yearpilotstoassesstheefficacyofthesecond-stagemodel.


Third-StageShelter

There also exists a model referred to as third-stage shelter, which refers to another

alternativeavailable towomenwhohavebeenabused,offeringprograms forhousing

andsupport.Thirdstage isgenerallyavailable towomenafter theyhavecompleteda

second-stageprogrambutstillneedhousingandsomesupportinthecommunity.This

model is foundboth inBCandEdmonton,and the servicesdiffer somewhatbetween

theprovinces.Third-stageshelters inBCofferhousingforabusedwomenwithunique

needs. There are several third-stage shelters designated for women who have been

abusedandhavesignificantmentalhealthconcerns,aswellassheltersforwomenwho

haveleftabusivepartnerswhoaremanagingsubstanceabuseissues(Tuttyetal.,2008).

Manyofthesheltershavelimitedlengthsofstays,andothersarepermanenthousing.

There is a third-stage shelter in Edmonton that is run by theWings of Providence, a

second-stage shelter, inpartnershipwith two localnon-profithousing societies, social

assistanceandAlbertaChildren’sservices.Theyofferahousingplacementaftersecond-

stage (Tutty et al., 2008). Women reside in units that are part of the regular social

housingstock,hencetherearenoenhancedsecuritymeasures.Theoutreachworkers

fromthesecond-stageshelterprovidesupporttothewomenparticipatinginthethird-

stageprogram.

HousingFirstModel

TheHousingFirstModelisalsosometimesreferredtoasrapidre-housing.Housingfirst

was initially developed as a method to help reduce chronic homelessness. In recent

yearsHousingFirsthasemergedasakeyresponsetohomelessnessinmanypartsofthe

world including the US, Europe and Canada. Housing First is a recovery-oriented

approachtohomelessness that involvesmovingpeoplewhoexperiencehomelessness

intoindependentandpermanenthousingasquicklyaspossible,withnopreconditions,

andthenprovidingthemwithadditionalservicesandsupportsasneeded(Gaetz,Scott

&Gulliver, 2013). Housing is not contingent upon ‘readiness’ or ‘compliance’. It is a

rightsbasedinterventionrootedinthephilosophythatallpeopledeservehousing,and

thatadequatehousingisapreconditionforrecovery(Gaetzetal.,2013).Theapproach

works best when it helps people nurture supportive relationship and become

meaningfullyengagedintheircommunities.ThecoreprincipalsofHousingFirstinclude:

immediate access to permanent housing with no housing readiness requirements;

consumerchoiceandself-determination;recoveryorientation;individualizedandclient

drivensupports;andsocialandcommunityintegration.HousingFirstcanbelookedat

asanoverallhousingphilosophy,orconsideredmorespecificallyasaprogram.Thereis

a substantial body of research that convincingly demonstratesHousing First’s general

effectiveness, when compared to ‘treatment first’ approaches (Gaetz et al., 2013).

Housing First can be adapted as specific programming for vulnerable subpopulations

with different risk factors such as domestic violence. Discovery House Community


HousingprogramappliesaHousingFirstmodeltowomenleavingviolence.

Thecentralpremiseisthateveryonedeservesahomeandishouse-able.Thereismuch

misconception that people experiencing homeless cannot be housed. Educating the

community about truths and myths of vulnerable populations is crucial in creating

positive relationships with neighbours and communities. On January 23, 2008 the

Government of Alberta announced the establishment of the Alberta Secretariat for

ActiononHomelessness,whoweregiventhemandatetodevelopa10yearprovincial

strategicplantoendinghomelessness(ABSecretariat,2008).TheheartofthePlanfor

Albertaisbasedonahousingfirstphilosophy(ABSecretariat,2008).

StayingatHomeModels

Itismostoftenthevictimwholeavesthefamilyhomewhendomesticviolenceoccurs.

This iswell encapsulated in the languageweusewhenwe talkabout ‘women fleeing

violence’or ‘womenescapingabuse’. Littlehasbeenwrittenon the ideaofawoman

andherchildrenremainingintheirownhomeswhenleavingaviolentpartner.Theidea

ofwomen staying in theirhome is increasinglybeing consideredas an important and

viableoption.Therearenowseveralmodelsexploringtheoptionforwomentostayat

homeincludingthe ‘SanctuarySchemes’ intheUnitedKingdom,whichbegan in2002,

that are now increasingly part of a multi-agency response to households at risk of

domesticviolence(Jones,Bretherton,Bowles&Croucher,2010). ‘SafeatHome’ isthe

Tasmanian Government’s integrated criminal justice response to family violence

(Tasmania Government, 2015). The ‘Staying Home Leaving Violence’ program in New

SouthWales,AustraliaprovidesfundingforeighteenservicesacrossNewSouthWales

(BegaWomen’sRefugeIncorporated,2007).Assistingwomentoremainsafelyintheir

homes is now the stated policy of the Australian Government, under the National

PartnershipAgreementonHomelessness(Meyering&Edwards,2012).

Thestayingathomemodelsofhousingforwomenleavingviolencearefirmlybasedon

the principle of providing choices for women. Safety remains paramount for housing

options. Safe at home models are premised on the fact that the perpetrator of the

violence should be held accountable for their actions and removed from the family

home, therebynot penalizing thewomenand children for the violence against them.

Thesemodelsaimtosafeguard theautonomyandsocial supportnetworksofvictims,

reducethefinancial,socialandhealthimpactsofviolence,andensurethatperpetrators

experienceconsequences fortheirviolentactions (WHGNE,2011).Thesemodelshave

manyadvantages,frompreventinghomelessnessandhousingpressures,toprovisionof

morechoiceandminimizingdisruptionforwomenandchildren(Meyering&Edwards,

2012). Similar to other services for domestic violence, service userswill have varying

levelsofneedforsupportandsecurity.


Criticaltothesuccessofthestayingathomemodels istherelated integratedsupport

and ongoing riskmanagement. Thismay be in the form of supportworks, advocacy,

addedsecuritysystemstothehome,andrestrainingordersfortheperpetrators.Akey

aspect of this servicemodel is working in close partnership with other organizations

suchaspoliceand justice systems.These factsare reinforced in theevaluationof the

Begapilot inNSWthat foundthatcertainkey factorsarenecessary for thesuccessof

theprogram(BegaWomen’sRefuge2007;Edwards2014).

ThesuccessofthestayingathomemodelhasbeendemonstratedintheUKthroughthe

SanctuarySchemes.A2010report foundthatamongSanctuarySchemes intheUK, in

thevastmajorityofcasestherewerenobreaches,andthesecuritymeasuresdeterred

orpreventedperpetrators fromgainingentry into theproperty (Jonesetal.,2010).A

qualitative study exploring the experiences of women in New South Wales’ Staying

Home Leaving Violence program provided evidence of a stability of housing which is

unusualforwomenleavingdomesticviolence.Allseventeenwomeninthestudywere

living in stable accommodationat the timeof the interviews, andelevenwomenhad

beensupportedtoremainintheirownhome(Edwards,2011).

Whilethestayingsafeathomemodelsareclearlyhavingsuccessintermsofpreventing

violence-relatedhomelessnessforwomenthemodelsdonotsuitallwomen,anddonot

purporttodoso.Moreover,theyareanimportantpartofacontinuumofservicesfor

women.McFerran(2007),inheroverviewofintegratedmodelsthatdealwithviolence

and subsequent homelessness, notes that staying safe at home models must be

delivered as part of an integrated regional domestic violence strategy (as quoted in

Meyering&Edwards,2012).Stayingathomeisclearlyanoptionthatwomenshouldbe

offered,andanimportantreorientationofpastwaysofassistingsomewomenaffected

bydomesticviolence.

Personal help buttons, or duress pendants, have been used as a tool for women to

accessemergencyhelpwithouthavingtoreachaphone.Onesuchsuccessfulprogram

hasbeenthe‘BSafe’projectusedintheHumeRegionofVictoria,Australia.Theproject

isan initiativebetweenWomen’sHealthGoulburnNorthEast, theVictoriaPolice, the

AustralianGovernmentandVitalCall(medicalalertservices).Itisapersonalalarmand

riskmanagementoption forwomen leaving familyviolence.Thewomenareprovided

withapendantandamobileunit,andactivationofeitherdevicesendsanalarmtoa

response centre that immediately alerts the police while continuing to monitor and

recordthecallandwhatishappeninginthehome.Suchrecordingscanlaterbeusedas

evidenceforcourtproceedings(WHGNE,2010).Theobjectivesoftheprogramaretwo

fold.Firstlytoreducehomicides,assaults,sexualizedassaultandrecidivismrelatingto

family violence by providing an additional level of support and service to victims of

family violence so they can safely stay in their own homes and communities; and

secondly,tostrengthentherelationshipbetweenthepolice,familyviolence,andhealth

andcommunitysectorsandthecommunity(WHGNE,2011).TheBSafeproject isclear

that it could not operate outside an integrated approach to family violence where


communityservices,specialistfamilyviolenceandsexualizedassaultservicesandpolice

are working together to support the safety needs of women and children escaping

violence.Thebulkoftheliteratureindicatethatsuchstayingathomemodelsmustonly

beanoptionforwomenassessedat lowrisk.Bsafehasbeensuccessful inprovidinga

serviceforhigh-riskwomenandchildrenescapingfamilyviolenceorsexualizedassault

whowant to remain in their home. Bsafe is a tangible riskmanagement option. The

BSafe evaluations demonstrate clearly thatwomen and their children experienced an

increasedfeelingofsafetyandhavebeenprovidedwithanadditional levelofsupport

thathasenabledthemtoremainintheirownhomesandcommunities.Italsoincreases

thelikelihoodofdetectionandprosecutionofperpetrators.Evaluationsshowthat68%

ofwomenwereabletostayintheirownhome,whileafurther20%relocatedtoanew

homebutremainedintheirowncommunity(Meyering&Edwards,2011).

AdditionalModelsandConsiderations

There are also many innovative policy and program practices associated with the

differenthousingmodelsthatcanhelptoprovideprotectionandsupportfordomestic

violencevictims.

Some American second-stage shelters for example have implemented programs in

which they set aside a certain portion of the resident’s rent during their stay. These

moniesare returned to thewomenwhen she leaves tohelpherestablishpermanent

housing and canhelpher cover the costs ofmoving, or tohelppay for their security

deposit on a new place. This deduction is implemented when women are earning

enoughthattheir30%portionofrentwouldbeabovetheratessetbysocialassistance

(Tuttyetal.,2008).Thesesavingsaccountscanprovidetheopportunityforwomento

movetowardsmorefinancial independenceanddoesnotpenalizethemforincreasing

theirincome.

In some rural and northern communities that do not have shelters, community

membersmayopentheirhomestowomenleavingaviolentpartner.Oftenreferredto

as‘safehomes’thesehomesofferatemporaryrefugeintendedtoprovidewomenthe

opportunity tomake the necessary travel arrangements to the nearest shelterwhere

travel is often lengthy (Tutty et al., 2008). Since these homes are essentially family

homes,theretendstobenoaddedsecuritymeasures.Insomeprovincesorterritories,

thehostfamiliesaretrainedtohelpvictimsofdomesticviolenceandtheyhaveaccess

toacoordinatorwhodoesoutreachwork.

Manitobaoffersinterimhousingforwomenleavingviolence,longer-termshelterspace

asanadjuncttotheemergencyshelter. It ismeanttoprovidewomenwithaplaceto

staywhiletheyarewaitingforlongertermhousing(Tuttyetal.,2008).Thehousingin

thisinstanceisprovidedbyManitobahousingunderthecontroloftheshelter.


ThestateofVictoriainAustraliahasbeeninvestinginthedevelopmentofanintegrated

family violence system (IFVS) since 2005 (Victorian Government, 2012). As a result,

Victorianowhasanintegratedapproachthatplacewomenandchildrenatthecentreof

the response. The Integrated Family Violence Network is a group of over a dozen

organizations across the region aiming to reduce the incidence of family violence by

working collaboratively across all service systems to provide a holistic integrated

system, responsive to the needs of women and children. They have three standard

modelstheyusewhenexploringwomenandchildren’ssafety:StateWide;LeaveLocal;

or Stay at Home. All three options and their suitability are guided by a standardized

approach to recognizing and assessing risk, the statewide risk assessment tool, The

Family Violence Comprehensive Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework

(CRAF)(VictorianGovernment,2012).

For women who are at extreme risk and need immediate protection, shelter is

coordinatedviathestatewidecrisissystem.LeaveLocalisforwomenwhomaybe,for

theshorttermorlongterm,unabletostayintheirhome–forexample,thepoliceare

unabletolocatetheperpetratorortoservehimwithanorder-andareplacedinrefuge

locally,orrehousedlocallywithadditionalsecurityfeaturesinplace.Thethirdoptionis

safeathomewherethewomendecidesshewantstostayathome,theperpetratoris

excluded and there is increased safety measures at the home. The dispersed refuge

modelofhousing isalsoemployed,which ishousingspreadrandomly throughout the

community.Womenaresupportedbyaworkerthrougha localagency.Thedispersed

housingisownedbytheruralhousingauthorityandtheyactasthelandlord,andrefuge

manages the day to day operations as the refuge has the training to deal with the

complexissuesofdomesticviolence.

Thereareemergingtechnologiesbecomingavailablethatmaybehelpfulinmonitoring

perpetrators to increase women’s safety. Safetracks, a company based in Red Deer,

Alberta has devices that have been used tomonitor perpetrators. Domestic Violence

DeterrenceconsistsofananklewornsinglepiecedesignincorporatingGPSforlocation

andcellularcommunicationforreportingdatatocentralcomputers.Theseunitsallow

continuoustrackingoftheperpetratorthroughoutthecommunityandmayalsoemploy

apagerorcellularunitcarriedbythevictim.Smartphoneapplicationsalert thevictim

when the perpetrator is in the vicinity. The United States is also using electronic

monitoringofpersonschargedwithorconvictedofcrimesrelatedtodomesticviolence.

Thereisunilateralandbilateralmonitoring.Thefirstisusedtoensurethatperpetrators

aremeetingtheirparoleconditionsandwillsignalwhentheperpetratorisnotintheir

home.Thelattercanbeusedtoalertthevictim.Therationalebehindthismodelisthat

by monitoring the offender’s location, the woman’s safety is enhanced (Tutty et al.,

2008).

CentralAlbertaWomen’sEmergencyShelterinRedDeerranathree-yearpilotproject

designed to enhance the supervision of select persons subject to court orders arising

from Criminal Code convictions for serious domestic violence offences. The project


involved the use of ankle bracelets and GPS technology for electronic monitoring of

offenderswithinthecityofRedDeer.

Therearealsomanyvariances in theapproachesandusesofemergencyshelters.For

exampleinAustraliathesearecalledRefuges,andalthoughtheyarestilldesignedtobe

short term ‘crisis’housingoptions, thestay in refuges is typically threemonthsrather

than the usual 21 days in Alberta. Perhaps years ago it took amonth to getwomen

housed,buttherealityisnowthatitcantakeyears.

Recommendations

Summaryofrecommendations:

• ExpansionofServiceDelivery

o Second-stageshelter

o Wraparoundservices(ongoingsupport,advocacy,financial,children’sservices

etc)

o Stayathomeoptions

o Communitysupportoptions

o ScatteredHousingoptions

• Existingservicesremainintact

o Additionalfundingisnecessary

• SafetyandChoiceisparamount

o Increasingwomen’sautonomy

o GuidedbyDangerassessment

• IncreasedCollaboration

o Housing

o Police

o Community

o OngoingadvocacyinCommunity

• Policies

o Specifictoneedsofwomenleavingviolence

o Crosssectorpolicies

o Revisionofexistingpolicies

o Ruralconsiderations


ExpansionofServiceDelivery

It is recommended that RowanHouse consider the expansionof service delivery that

will provide a broader range of options for women leaving violence to decrease the

likelihoodthatwomenmaychoosetoeitherstayorreturntoanabusivepartner.There

is not one single approach that will fit the needs of all women leaving violence,

particularly where housing is concerned. Therefore, the continued development of a

rangeofservicesisrecommended.

Theneedformoreoptionsforwomenleavingviolence,inparticulararoundtransitional

housingintheHighRiverarea,isundisputable.Theshortageofaffordablehousingand

the number ofwomen experiencing violence alone speaks easily to this.What is less

explicitiswhattheseoptionsshouldlooklike.Therearemanydifferentconsiderations,

and effortsmust continue to develop additional housing options that respond to the

realityofdomesticviolence.Housingoptionsmustmakeprovisionsforadiversegroup

of women with varying needs, different family compositions, cultural considerations,

safetyneeds,andtheabilitytoliveincommunitywhileincrisis(Tuttyetal.,2009).The

realityisthatwomenneedanarrayofservicestomeettheirneeds.

ServiceModel

Thedevelopmentofadditionalhousingservicesshouldbeprovidedinaholisticmanner

to meet both the housing and safety needs of domestic violence victims and their

children. Service delivery needs to focus on assisting abused women to find safe,

affordablelong-termhousing.Safetyandprotectionmeasuresshouldbeconsideredin

planning and designing shelter facilities and services provided as well as in policy-

advocacy and community outreach efforts (Giermanet al., 2013). There is a need for

transitional housing, which is critical to women’s ability to achieve economic

independence after separation. Second-stage shelters are identified as an important

aspect of the spectrum of housing options and target a group of women who will

benefit most from a safe and supportive network. They provide women-only spaces

essentialtotheirsafetyandsecurityaswellasthesupportivewraparoundservicesthey

need, as well as an opportunity to develop a sense of community. The second-stage

model should be considered as part of Rowan House’s expansion. The second-stage

model has proven to be successful in Alberta andworking in partnershipwith ACWS

whosupports second-stageprovisions is recommended.Transitionalhousing isoneof

themostimportanttangibleresources.

Additionalprogrampracticesshouldbeconsideredaswraparoundservicesforwomen

whoneedhousing,and toenhancesafetyandservices foranoverall serviceprogram

deliverythatfitsavarietyofwomen’sneeds.Aswellasaneedfortransitionalhousing,

there is aneed for choice, there is aneed for strategies tohelpmovewomenoutof

homelessness as quickly as possible, and there is need for support in community


housing. Services may include a choice of staying at home where it is safe and

appropriate, consideration of extra safetymeasures for womenwho need it such as

personal alarms or devices, or supporting the use of emergency protection orders to

enhancetheabilitytostayathomesafelywheretheychoose.Considerationoffinancial

programs to help assist women become financially independent once they leave the

shelterorsecond-stageenvironmentisalsoworthkeepinginmind.

Amodelthatencompassesavarietyofhousingoptionsandhousingstability including

second-stage shelter forwomen thatneed the security, scatteredcommunityhousing

availability, community support and advocacy, and staying at homeoptionswouldbe

ideal.Stablehousingmaybeoneofthemostimportanttangibleresources(Bakeretal.,

2010).Allhousingoptionsmustbeconsideredthrougha lensofsafetyaspriorityand

choice for women. High River is a logical location for second-stage shelter as its

proximitytoRowanHousewillenhanceserviceprovisionwiththeefficiencyoftimeand

support. Scattered housing should be considered beyondHigh River in outlying areas

suchasOkotoksandBlackDiamond.Scatteredhousing in theseoutlyingcommunities

wouldprovideoptionsforwomenintheseruralareas.Forexample,ifawomanwanted

to stay in their local community rather than moving to High River for second-stage

housing, theywouldhave thisoption.Alternatively, if awomanneeded to leaveHigh

River for reasons of safety, theywould still have a suitable rural options rather than

being forced tomove to the city. Scatteredhousingalsoprovides theopportunity for

womentolivewithinthecommunityiftheydonotneedtheaddedsecurityofasecond-

stageshelter.

ExistingServices/Funding

It isvital inthefurtherdevelopmentofRowanHouse’scontinuumofservicesthatthe

existing services remain in tact.Although there is increasedattention to theneed for

transitional and permanent housing, this does not abdicate the need for emergency

sheltersandtheservicestheyprovide.Emergencysheltersprovideasafeplacetostay

aswellaseffectiveandsupportiveservicesforwomenincrisis.Therewillalwaysbea

needforemergencyservices.ExpansionforRowanHousemustbeontheprovisothat

existingstaffing,in-houseandoutreachservicesandthecurrentbudgetstayintact.

Althoughtherecentfundingannouncementbytheprovincialgovernmentisforexisting

second-stageshelterbeds,thereiscertainlypossibilitythatinthefuturethisfundingis

expandedtonewbeds.Securefundingiscriticaltothesustainabilityofservices.

SafetyandChoice

Safetyisparamountwhenconsideringhousingforwomenleavingviolence.Safetymust

bethefirstpriorityinlookingathousingoptionsforwomen.Thenumbersspeakeasily


tothisneedforsafety,asdoesthefactthatwomenleavingviolencehaveuniquesafety

needs.Servicedecisionsareguidedandchoice is informedbythedangerassessment.

Thereisaneedforchoice,autonomy,andensuringthatwomenhavecontrolovertheir

options. Programs need to increase women’s autonomy by emphasizing flexibility in

servicesoffered(Baker,2010).

IncreasedCollaboration

Increased collaboration between services is vital, particularly between domestic

violenceandhousingsystems.Bestpracticesinfamilyviolenceserviceprovisionaffirm

the critical importance of a coordinated community response in holding offenders

accountable and providing holistic services for victims (ACWS n.d.). Despite the

importance of second-stage shelter as a housing option with wrap around services,

ultimatelymovingout intothecommunity intosafe,affordable,permanenthousing is

thegoalofmostabusedwomen.Therefore,continuedcollaborationandadvocacyfor

increasedavailabilityofpublichousingisessential,as isanintegratedapproachacross

thecommunity todevelopconsistentpolicies that respectallagencies.Workwiththe

community to develop a common philosophical framework about abuse and the

complicateddynamicsoffamilyviolenceisessential(ACWSn.d.),asishousingsystems

workingmore proactively to better serve the needs and safety of domestic violence

victims.Women’ssheltersandhousingcommonlydealwiththesamewomen(although

theymaynotdisclosetohousing).Whiletheseorganizationshavedifferentmandates,

funders, and philosophical foundations, improved collaboration between women’s

shelters and the housing sector can only enhance women’s journeys to becoming

appropriatelyhoused(Tuttyetal.,2014).

Enhancedconsultationbetweenthepoliceandcommunitycanhelptosupportwomen

whostayathomeorintheirowncommunity.Theprovisionstogivewomenpossession

ofthefamilyhomearepowerful,andiftheabuserisnotatriskofbreachingtheorder,

thisapproachcanbeeffective.Advocacyforhousingsubsidiesthatarenotdependent

on the act of moving would serve to increase housing options, including staying at

home.

Policies

Policy recommendations that specifically address the needs of victims of domestic

violenceneed tobe fully implementedandenforced.This includesbothawarenessof

existingresources,aswellasconsistentimplementationthroughoutthecommunity.

Assessing existing agency policy for implicit biases for women accessing services is

important.RowanHouseshouldconsidercreatingcrosssectorpoliciesforwomenand

housingwithotheragenciesinthecommunity.Examiningunintendedpoliciesthatmay


disadvantageorendangervictimsisalsoimportant,as iscreatingpoliciesthataddress

barriersandimprovehousingrelatedoutcomesforwomen.Ruralconsiderationsshould

be made. As there tends to be less access to a multitude of services in rural areas

servicesshouldconsidersupportingotherwomeninneedwhentheavailabilitypermits.

Assistancewithtransportationmaybecriticalaspublictransportationislimitedinrural

areas,andwomenmaynothaveavehicleoftheirown.Considerpoliciesaroundlength

ofstay.ResearchfromtheUnitedStatesandinternationallyclarifythatbothemergency

and second-stage shelter stays are generally longer than Alberta. The downside is,

especiallyinurbanshelters,thatallowingcurrentresidentstostaylongerwouldprevent

women ready to enter the shelter from being able to do so. However, the

appropriatenessofthiscouldbeconsidered,ascouldalongerstaysecond-stageshelter

program, for example up to two years. Continued advocacy to change policies that

createbarriersforwomenisessential.

Conclusions

The complexities of the issues for women abused by intimate partners who become

homelessareoverwhelming,andthecurrentinstitutionalresponseissimplyinadequate

(Tutty et al., 2014). A focus on women’s autonomy and agency in service delivery

options and provision of flexible and long-term services that are tailored towomen’s

needsarevital.Aholisticandintegratedapproachisrequiredtomeetbothhousingand

safetyneedsofwomenandchildrenleavingviolence.Ongoingdevelopmentofarange

of services, policy revisions, and collaboration, are all required to achieve safety and

stability.

There is a complex interplay of issues that may affect a woman’s risk of housing

instabilityaftershehasleftaviolentpartner.Onlookingathousingoptionsforwomen

there are many things to consider, including safety, maximum length of stay, and

support.Itisimperativetolookcloselyatalltheoptionsandexaminewhytheyarenot

suitable options. On leaving emergency shelters women are often faced with

inadequate housing and financial support that leaves them with a choice of being

homelessorreturningtotheabusivepartner.Andthelackofhousingresourcesintheir

community as impacting their ability to leave or stay safe from their abusive partner

(Clough et al., 2013).Women feel that housing resources are directly linked to their

safety(DichterandRhodes,2011asquotedinCoughetal.,2013).Asdescribedaptlyby

oneparticipant inastudybyCloughetal. (2013),theabilitytohavehousing iskeyto

achievingsafetyandstabilityfordomesticviolencesurvivorsandtheirchildren.

Thereisnoonesolutiontodomesticviolencerelatedhomelessnessnoristhesolution

easy to realize.What is clear is thatwomen need an array of services tomeet their

needs. A range of prevention and intervention initiatives are needed as part of an

integratedapproachtoaddressingdomesticviolenceanditsrelatedhomelessness.The

type of assistance and support needed varies based on the personal circumstances,


whichmaybeinfluencedbyhealth,socialandculturalbackground,financialresources,

familyresources,abuseetc.Twotypesofassistanceareclearlycritical:provisionofsafe,

secureandaffordablehousing;andprovisionofacontinuumofindividualizedandopen

ended wrap around supports including outreach services, housing and financial

assistance, spiritual andemotional support for as long s theyneed it. Allwomenand

their stories are unique, and all circumstances are unique and require different

approaches and different service options, provisions, and considerations. Safety is a

factorineveryhousingdecision.Consistentintheliterature,istheconcernthatwomen

are returning to their abusive partners because no affordable long term housing is

available(Tuttyetal.,2008).

Rowan House is well positioned in the community and the province to take on the

developmentof transitionalhousingandhousingoptions.Buildingoncurrent services

aroundthebroadercontinuumofhousingwillnotonlystrengthentheexistingstaffand

services,butwillalsoprovidethecommunitywithanessentialservicearoundhousing

forwomenleavingviolence.Asanintegralpartofthecommunity,RowanHousecomes

withexperienceandbestpracticeknowledgearounddomesticviolence.RowanHouse

has many strong working partnerships with other key organizations in the area,

including housing services, and financial assistance. Rowan House will engage and

maintain theseworking relationshipswith key stakeholders as itmoves forwardwith

planning. Rowan House has an ongoing membership with the ACWS that provides

support to shelters to look at promising practices for the needs of shelters. ACWS

already supports several second-stage shelters across Alberta. Shelters should be

operated by independentwomen’s organizations (Gierman et al., 2013). Informed by

Rowan House as a women’s organization and experiences, this will create a service

program approach that is empowering to, and authentic for women, reinforcing a

genderedperspectivetohousing.Wellestablishedinitsprogramsandservices,Rowan

House is committed to supportingwomen and childrenwhohave experienced family

violence. Promising practices are already informed by RowanHouse’s philosophies of

safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration and empowerment. Recognizing the

leadership that Rowan House has provided in the community is crucial to sustain its

ongoingdevelopmentandworktoensureavisionthateverypersonissafeandsecure

andliveswithoutabuse.


AppendixA–RowanHouseStatistics

Numberofwomenandchildrenadmittedtoprograms

2014/15 2013/14 2012/13 2011/12 2010/11 2009/10 2008/09 2007/08Outreach 38 25 28 58 58 129* 69* 58*

Residential 227 151 153 114 63 48* 51* 50*

CrisisCalls 1217 827 502 * * * * *

Noofwomenandchildrenturnedaway

354 469* 257 ** ** 43 65 105

Outreach*Numberincludedchildren,after2010onlyadults

Residential*Numberscollecteddifferently,thereforemayvaryslightlyforcomparison

Crisis*Datanotcollectedpriorto2012

Turnaways*201oftheseturnawayswereduetofloods

Turnaways**Nodataavailable

OfNote:

• Intheoldfacilitymorewomenwerebeingturnedawaythanadmittedintoresidential

• Therehasbeenasteadyincreaseinnumberovertheyears

• Theresidentialnumbershaveincreasemorethan4timesinsixyears,partlydueto

facilitychange

• IntheBlackDiamondfacilitypriorto2012,womenwereturnedawayduetolackof

space,alsoduetosafetyreasonsbecauseofthenatureofthenonsecurefacility

LengthofstayinResidential NumberofDays

2014/15

2013/14 2012/13 2011/12 2010/11 2009/10 Total Total%

Lessthan2 32 18 6 5 10 * 71 10%

3to10 56 61 45 17 26 205 30%

11to20 29 27 32 18 15 121 17%

21to62 88 82 47 35 3 255 37%

Morethan62

14 15 8 1 2 40 6%

Total 219 203 138 76 56 692

*Datanotrecordedpriorto2010

OfNote:

• 43%percentofwomenstaylongerthan21days

• 6%havestayedlongerthan62days

• 47%staybetween3and20days

• Thewomenwhostayedmorethan21dayshasalmostdoubledinthepastthreeyears


DangerAssessments DAScores 2014/15 2013/14 2012/13 2011/12 Total Total%Variable 0 0 2 * 2 4%

Increased 0 9 4 13 23%

Severe 3 3 3 9 16%

Extreme 7 13 13 33 58%

Total 10 25 22 57

InterpretationsofScores:

Variable(lessthan8):routinesafetyplanningandmonitoring.

Increased(8to13):Safetyplanningandincreasedmonitoringareimportant.Watchforothersignsofdanger.

Severe(14to17):Victimshouldbeadvisedthatdangerissevere.Safetyplanningshouldbeassertive,consultation

withothers.Severeriskhasbeenassociatedwithincreasedriskofhomicidesofwomen.

Extreme(18ormore):Assertiveactionstoprotectvictimarenecessary.Additionalprofessionalhelpis

recommended.

*Nodatacollectedpriorto2012

OfNote:

• 74%ofwomenadmittedtoRowanHouseareintheSeveretoExtremerange

ClientRegions

*TurnerValley,BlackDiamond,Claresholm,Nanton,Vulcanandsurroundingruralareas

**HavehadwomenfromotherareasinAlberta,Edmontonandarea,Lethbridge,SiksikaNation,Morley,aswellas

fromoutofprovince.

OfNote:

• 38%ofwomencomefromlocalareaandsurroundinglocalruralregions

• 45%ofwomencomefromCalgary

ClientRegion 2014/15 2013/14 2012/13 2011/12 2010/11 2009/10 Total Total%HighRiver 17 10 15 3 2 ** 47 15%

Okotoks 8 10 7 6 0 31 10%

Localarea* 15 9 3 9 3 39 13%

Calgary 48 38 27 17 8 138 45%

Other** 17 11 12 10 2 52 17%

Total 105 78 64 45 15 307


AppendixB–HousingTypeSummary HousingType HighRiverandarea Calgary Barriersforwomen BenefitsforwomenNonDVSpecific EmergencyShelters/HomelessShelters

N/A .Atotalof6facilitiesinthecityofCalgarywithatotalof1,391spaces(mixedgender).YWCAoperatesMaryDoverHousewith6bedsdedicatedtosinglewomen.YWCAoperatesaWinterEmergencyResponse(Nov-Apr)with50cotsdedicatedtosinglehomelesswomen.Onefamilyshelterwithatotalof28units,withadditionaloverflowavailable.KerbyRotaryShelterforseniorsexperienceelderabusemenandwomen(6beds)

.Safety

.Mustvacateduringtheday

.Noguaranteedaccessdaily

.Location

.Sharedsleepingfacilities

.Sharedamenities

.DonotaddressDVissues

.Mixedgender

.Minimalsafetyprotocols

.Donotacceptchildren

.NoDVservices

.Minimalcriteriatogainentry

.Nocost

.Immediatesafetyoffthestreets

.AlthoughYWCAprogramisnotDVspecific,manywomenhavehistoriesofviolenceorareleavingDVandthissupportisavailable.YWCAMaryDover(3weeksstay)

ShorttermSupportiveHousing

N/A .Atotalof3facilitiesinthecityofCalgarywithatotalof470spaces

.Safety

.NoDVservices

.Lengthofstay(shortterm)

.Mixedgender

.Minimalcriteriatogainentry

.Nocost

.Immediatesafetyoffthestreets


LongtermSupportiveHousing

N/A .Atotalof1facilityinthecityofCalgarywithatotalof70spaces.YWCACalgaryprovides80transitionalbedsforwomen

.Safety

.NoDVservices.Lengthofstay(longterm).YWCAtransitional(2yearstay).AlthoughYWCAprogramisnotDVspecific,thissupportisavailable

AffordableHousing

.TheTownofHighRiver(30units).FoothillsFoundation(22unitsaffordablehousing-9inOkotoks,6inBlackDiamond,7inTurnerValley).21unitsofsocialhousing–rentgearedtoincome–19inOkotoks,1inTurnerValley,1inBlackDiamond

.TheCityofCalgaryhasanaffordablehousingprogram

.Safety

.Availability

.Location

.NoDVservices

.Noconnectiontosupport

.Isolation

.Residencyrequirements

.Discrimination

.Incomelevels

.Policies,criteria

.Over/Underhousing

.LackoftrainedstaffonDV

.Housingprioritydifferent

.Incomesupportdonotqualify

.PriorityrarelygiventoDV

.Lengthofstay(longterm)

.Affordablycriteria

.Potentialtostayinhomecommunity

SubsidyPrograms

.FoothillsFoundationprovidessubsidyforprivaterentals

.Subsidyprogramsavailable. .Safety.NoDVservices.Privaterentalavailability.Policiesandcriteria.Discrimination

.Maybeabletostayincurrenthome.Choiceofmorerentaloptions


DVSpecific

DVEmergencyShelter

.RowanHouse(24beds) .CalgaryWomen’sEmergencyShelter(50beds).YWCASheriffKingHome(42beds).AwotaanHealingLodge(27beds)WheatlandShelter,Strathmore(25beds).EaglesNest,Morley(23beds)

.Availability

.Policiesandcriteria

.LengthofStay(shortterm)

.Exclusions

.Securefacility

.Safetypriority

.DVspecificsupportandservices

.Childrenspecificprograms

.Traumainformed

.Trainedstaff

.Focusonempowerment

.Mostlyfunded,womenstayatnocost

SecondStageShelter

.RowanHouseiscurrentlyleasing4unitsfortransitionalhousingonatrialbasis

.BrendaStratfordCentre(34unitssecond-stage+54unitsinProgressiveHousing).SonshineCentre(24units).DiscoverHouse(19units)

.Availability

.Policiesandcriteria

.Exclusions

.Notfunded

.Stillarelativelyshorttermsolution

.Securefacility

.Safetypriority

.DVspecificsupportandservices

.Wraparoundservices

.Childrenspecificprograms

.Traumainformed

.Trainedstaff

.Focusonempowerment

.Lengthofstay(6monthsto2years).Wraparoundservices.Affordable(30%ofincome)

HousingFirstModel

N/A .DiscoveryHouse(DVspecific).YWCACommunityHousingProgramforsinglehomelesswomen(45apartments)

.Modelmayalsodependentonavailablehousing.Safety

.SocialandCommunityintegration

.Immediateaccesstohousing

.Nohousingreadinessrequirements.Recoveryorientedapproach.Permanenthousing.Supportsavailable


CommunityHousingModel

N/A .DiscoveryHouse.BrendaStratford

.Safety

.Housingindesirableareasmaynotbeaffordable

.SocialandCommunityintegration

.Choicetostayincommunity

Other

StayatHome N/A .Sheltersmaysometimessupportwomentostayinownhomeifitissafeandappropriate

.Notalwayssafeforwomentodoso

.Provisionofmorechoice

.Preventionofhomelessnessandhousingpressures.Minimizesdisruptionforwomenandchildren.Remaininownhomeandcommunity.Holdsperpetratorsaccountable.Minimizesvictimblaming.Safeguardssocialsupportnetworkforwomen.StrengthensrelationshipbetweenDVandcommunitysectorsuchaspolice

ScatteredHousing

N/A N/A .Safety.Availability

.Communityintegration

.Provisionofmorechoice

.Remaininowncommunity


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