By Spencer Sterritt

Nanaimo’s women support groups eyeing $730M in supportive housing funding

May 30, 2018 | 4:28 PM

NANAIMO — Two Nanaimo women’s support organizations are expressing serious interest in a significant funding announcement for women fleeing violence.

Anne Taylor, executive director of Haven Society, told NanaimoNewsNOW they’re looking at the $734 million dedicated to supportive housing and programs announced by the province late last week.

“What we’re thrilled about is this supportive housing is coming also with operational dollars,” Taylor said. “Housing is one thing and it’s really important…but we also need support to navigate the reality of leaving a relationship which many women thought would last the rest of their lives.”

Taylor said the money is desperately needed because when a woman leaves someone who’s being violent, they’re often not saving just themselves.

“More often than not…they’re way more concerned about their kids than they are about themselves. So they need a lot of support to just be able to start to think about what they need and what life is going to look like for them.”

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Roughly 50 per cent of residents in Haven Society’s transitional housing is children.

Taylor said the Society is successful finding housing for women and families, but with the tight market in Nanaimo it’s becoming a bigger challenge every day.

Island Crisis Care Society in Nanaimo is also keeping a close eye on the substantial amount of provincial funding.

Executive director Violet Hayes told NanaimoNewsNOW though they work to provide a broader range of services, they’ll still try to find a fit for any possible funding.

Their Samaritan House women’s shelter is in the middle of a campaign to raise $2 million for an expansion, which would allow them to help families and provide more services to women.

As of last February, Samaritan House was at 114 per cent capacity and 86 women were turned away.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit