In 2021, “Getting Home Project: Overcoming barriers to housing after violence” was published by the BC Society of Transition Houses. This report discusses barriers to safe, affordable and appropriate housing for women experiencing violence in B.C. It provides community-based solutions and policy recommendations to alleviate barriers to women accessing appropriate housing after transition house, safe home or second stage housing.
4 search results
for
Fleeing violence
Increase housing supply
Recommendation 1: Increase supply of appropriate and affordable housing for women and their children who have experienced violence.- There is an immediate need for more housing to reduce the bottleneck within VAW services.
- The inability to secure long-term housing has perpetuated a cycle of violence against women and their children.
- The need for housing is province-wide and uniquely experienced based on location.
-
Category and theme:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Increase funding
Recommendation 3: Establish long-term funding for violence prevention services and housing services.- There is a need for increased long-term operational funding for VAW services.
- Funding for existing programs that have proven to work in reducing homelessness should be increased.
- Adequate funding will increase accessibility to VAW services and allow for more training to limit discrimination of women with diverse needs such as mental health and substance use issues.
-
Category and theme:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Reduce systemic barriers
Recommendation 5: Reduce social inequities women face that make them at risk for experiencing homelessness by creating a specific government support program for women experiencing violence.- The provision of CERB during the COVID-19 pandemic has broadened the possibilities of governmental economic support to a targeted population.
- As a result of the pandemic, there is currently a policy window for initiatives to support those who experience violence.
- There is a call for increased financial support to those who experience violence from the Final Report of the British Columbia Expert Panel on Basic Income (Green et al., 2020).
-
Category and theme:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Increase inclusion and accessibility
Recommendation 7: Increase public transportation options in rural and remote areas.- Increased accessibility to public transit will reduce the violence experienced by women in rural areas and also increase use of VAW services.
- Route frequency should be considering when assessing efficiency of transit routes.
-
Category and theme:
Audience:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation: