High need for shelter space, long-term housing for women fleeing violence

Keri Lewis stands in front of a house she can't wait to see torn down. 

That's because what's planned for this soon-to-be vacant lot has been in the sights of the executive director of Ottawa's Interval House for years.

"Ten brand new apartments that will be used as second stage or transitional housing for families in Ottawa," said Lewis, who runs this shelter for women fleeing abuse and violence. "It's been a long time coming."

Interval House purchased this suburban property in December 2020, and the organization now has money from the City of Ottawa to build. 

Right now, there are only 16 second-stage housing units for survivors of gender-based violence in Ottawa. In the midst of a national housing crisis, Lewis says it can take years for a woman who has escaped domestic violence to find a safe, affordable place to live. 

"Ninety-nine per cent of the people we serve in shelter are unable to afford market rent. This means they stay with us until they are able to access subsidized housing or a rent supplement program. These units and subsidies are becoming harder to access because the demand far exceeds the capacity," said Lewis.

It's not a new problem, and the situation is similar all over the country. 

A national report published Monday by Women's Shelters Canada found 97 per cent of shelter workers surveyed said over the prior 12 months it had become harder to support survivors seeking housing. Most said women fleeing violence needed to stay in shelters longer than the previous year. 

"There's nowhere for women to go after a shelter," said Anuradha Dugal, executive director of Women's Shelters Canada. "It has a bottleneck effect: Women aren't leaving shelters and so people can't come into shelters, and the turn-away rates are getting higher."

Ottawa's Interval House had to turn away nearly 800 people last year because there was no capacity, according to Lewis, whose shelter is meant to be a temporary, emergency refuge.

For some, it's become much more permanent.

• Hundreds of women fleeing abuse turned away by shelters 

The search for safe housing

After fleeing from her violent partner, Tonya says she, her kids and their pets slept in their car, couch-surfed and rented Airbnbs for months before finally securing a space at Interval House.

"No space, no space, no space. You just want somewhere to sleep, somewhere to be safe, where nobody's going to find you," said Tonya. "Before I got here ... I was a normal citizen working on my own business, working with the community."

CBC has agreed to let Tonya use a pseudonym to protect her identity and her safety, and that of her family.

With Tonya's line of credit maxed out, she eventually lost her small service business and her savings.

"Having to use all your resources, having to borrow from everyone that you know, it's horrible," she said. 

A year on, she's still living at the emergency shelter. 

'We are in jail'

While Tonya and her children feel safe and supported at Interval House, she says it's not home. And sometimes sharing this space with its locked doors, security cameras and shelter workers keeping watch, it can feel suffocating, almost punitive. 

"We do feel we are in jail because we are not free to do things that we would have be doing before," said Tonya.

Lewis isn't surprised to hear this, and is not offended. 

"I don't blame her at all," she said. "Families shouldn't be staying in this environment for more than three months. She's right: Our shelters were not designed for long-term stays."

Construction on Interval House's transitional housing project is set to start in the coming weeks.

These second-stage units are intended to provide a stable environment for up to two years while waiting for permanent, affordable housing in the community. 

The city of Ottawa is supporting the majority of the nearly $8-million price tag for the build. Interval House hopes to raise $150,000 to help support the operation after its opening, set for next summer.

"I hear from all levels of government an acknowledgment that housing is an emergency," said Lewis. "But we're not building deeply affordable housing at the rate that we need to."

Meanwhile, Women's Shelters Canada says it's supporting similar projects across the country, including a transitional housing unit set to open soon in New Brunswick and new construction of secondary housing in northern Alberta. 

Tonya can't even imagine waiting another 10 months to move out of this shelter.

"Many shelters should be building transitional houses. We see very sad faces. We see broken hearts. Having the transitional house at least is going to give hope and privacy to the families, to the women," she said. "It will be easier for the others coming."

Support is available for anyone fleeing gender-based violence. You can access crisis lines and local support services through Shelter Safe. If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.