Where are the women's shelters? (pt.2)
Advocacy and Action
Before getting into today’s post, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has subscribed to Citified over the past 2+ years! Today marks my 100th post and I just want to say thanks so much for your ongoing interest in, and support of, this newsletter and what’s happening in Waterloo Region. I really appreciate that so many folks are not only interested in the decisions happening at our local councils, but willing to take the time to engage with those issues in various ways. Thank you!
This is the second post in a series. Click to read part one.
When the YW Kitchener Waterloo (YWKW) announced that they would be closing the women’s shelter at 84 Frederick by June 30, 2024, many in the community worried that there would be an even larger gap in an already overburdened shelter system. The YWKW shelter on Frederick was the only shelter in Waterloo Region dedicated exclusively to women and gender-diverse individuals. While it was created to house up to 66 women, the shelter was frequently over capacity, with as many as a hundred women living there at one time. The YWKW believed they needed to act to better support the women using their services but recognized that many women would be left with even fewer shelter options than before.
“We know that by closing the shelter we have left a significant gap. However, we also know that the women of our community deserve better than what we gave them,” wrote Board President of the YWKW, Karen Coviello in a recent Letter to the Editor.
The impact of closing the Frederick St shelter is being felt across the region. Many individuals and organizations who support unhoused individuals are advocating for the implementation of immediate supports such as ensuring accessible women’s shelter beds are available across the region ahead of this winter and developing a responsive and reflective data strategy that accounts for women’s hidden homelessness.
One individual, who has chosen to remain anonymous, created the “wr women’s shelter now” Instagram page to bring awareness to the lack of services currently available to unhoused women and gender-diverse individuals. They were motivated to create the page because, “we have a gender equity issue that’s so close to home and I wondered why aren’t people more mad about this?” The Instagram page offers a history of how we ended up with no women-only shelters in our region, examples of stories from women experiencing homelessness, and details about how to create change, such as writing to elected officials or delegating at regional council. The page’s author hopes that by providing more information about the lack of shelter spaces and outlining actions people can take, this issue will be addressed.
“Awareness is key. When people are mad, that’s when politicians get worried. So many people out there care about this issue but just don’t know about it,” they said.
An open letter advocating for numerous actions from all levels of government was released on August 7, 2024. It was signed by a network of local nonprofit organizations, leaders, academics and community advocates who are concerned about the growing women’s homelessness crisis unfolding in Waterloo Region.
"This came about really organically because a group of people were noticing the crisis level of women's homelessness in Cambridge and in the region and really struggling with the lack of urgency and the lack of action around women and gender diverse people's homelessness," said Erin Dej, an associate professor of criminology at Wilfrid Laurier University and one of the co-signers of the letter.
The letter’s co-signers are concerned about the, “rising numbers of women seeking shelter overnight in hospital emergency rooms, as well as mothers resorting to ‘camping’ with their children due to renovictions and rent hikes that have made maintaining housing impossible.”
The closure of the shelter at 84 Frederick St. has resulted in zero women-specific emergency homeless shelter spaces, leaving women who are unhoused in precarious, and potentially dangerous, situations.
“The lack of shelter space forces women to make unthinkable choices. Some return to or stay in violent housing situations if they are unable to access one of 90 domestic violence shelter beds in the Region because they have nowhere else to turn,” the open letter stated.
The letter’s co-signers are asking for action from all levels of government. The three calls to action are:
Commit to ensuring accessible women’s shelter beds are available across the region ahead of winter through the prioritization of gender-responsive shelters for women experiencing homelessness that include robust wrap-around supports.
Immediately develop a responsive and reflective data strategy that accounts for women’s hidden homelessness, shelter availability, and related experience across our region. This data should be publicly available and be displayed in a revolving and transparent way.
Area municipalities should immediately prioritize the use of unoccupied land and buildings to be made available for nonprofit organizations seeking to provide support to women experiencing homelessness.
Municipalities should engage in a collective process with nonprofits and the various levels of government to identify and provide information regarding available properties and lands.
While this issue is not new, women’s homelessness is of growing concern. “7 per cent of women in Canada have experienced hidden homelessness at some point in their lives,” according to The Women’s National Housing and Homelessness Network (WNHHN).
While much work is required to build out a robust shelter system locally, men have more access to services than women and gender diverse people.
“There are already several men’s shelters. Women and gender-diverse individuals deserve as many options as men,” noted the “wr women’s shelter now” Instagram page author.
“When conducting outreach, Sanguen has been able to direct men to shelters, but have only been able to give women a sleeping bag and a tent,” Julie Kalbfleisch, director of fundraising and communications at Sanguen said.
Cambridge is of particular concern as it has been without any emergency shelter for women, including co-ed options, since The Bridges shelter transitioned from a co-ed space to a men’s-only shelter during the pandemic. The Bridges staff would often send women looking for shelter to the YWKW shelter. However, many women are reluctant to leave their personal support systems behind.
“For many women, support means being close to familiar faces, services, and communities. They may also have children staying with relatives and cannot uproot and move to another city,” wrote the letter’s authors.
There has been some recent good news for Cambridge with the announcement that a new 20-bed emergency shelter for women will open in the city later this year. The shelter will operate 24/7 and offer wrap-around supports. This is a temporary measure, operating out of Grace Bible Chapel.
“The shelter will be considered temporary because there are plans for a more permanent solution in Cambridge, although there is no timeline for that as of yet,” said Kim Decker, CEO of the YWCA Cambridge.
As for 84 Frederick, more work needs to be done before it can welcome new residents. The region must complete building renovations, gather Request for Proposal submissions and evaluate bids before 84 Frederick can reopen.
While the needed large-scale changes to the system must be implemented via government action, the open letter outlines several actions individuals can take to support the creation of more shelter spaces. Those actions include:
Educate yourself about the local crisis by reading the report "Women’s Homelessness in Cambridge: Knowledge Sharing and Interventions" and Project Willow's data.
Write to your representatives to advocate for change by writing a letter or email to your mayor or ward councillor.
Sign the petition urging decision-makers in Waterloo Region to create a temporary emergency shelter for women and non-binary people.
Raise awareness by talking about women’s homelessness in the region with your friends, family, and on social media.
Stay engaged. Attend local meetings, delegate at council meetings, participate in community discussions, and continue to push for sustainable solutions.
“The network of support for women experiencing homelessness in Waterloo Region is in danger of collapse, and we need urgent action now. Until there are appropriate and sustainable solutions in place, we are and will continue to advocate,” the open letter concludes.
A slightly edited version of this piece appeared in The Community Edition’s October issue.
Another potential action item to support women and children in Waterloo Region experiencing domestic violence is to participate in the Voices Empower: Walk to Break the Silence on November 30, 2024. Click to learn more about that event.