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.
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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.
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Create cross-sector organization
Recommendation 2: Create cross-sector collaboration to ensure adequate data collection related to women experiencing homelessness and the ability for knowledge sharing.- Women are more likely to be a part of the invisible population of those who experience homelessness, which has resulted in an inaccurate estimation of how many women experience homelessness in our province.
- Cross-sector organization will promote more accurate data collection as a result of increased awareness through knowledge sharing.
- Connections between sectors can use the strengths of each sector to help limit barriers to housing by creating more efficient systems.
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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.
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Reduce systemic barriers
Recommendation 4: Reduce social inequities women face that make them at risk for experiencing homelessness by reducing the gender wage gap.- Long-term economic security for women will help prevent women experiencing homelessness and allow for women to have greater choice in their living circumstances.
- Large scale systemic barriers have to be addressed in order for equitable access to housing to exist.
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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).
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