VIDEO: Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society celebrates completion of shelter expansion

(Video Credit: Jett Schwaier/CHAT News)

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The federal funding announcement was made on Tuesday by Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, on behalf of Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson, alongside Medicine Hat Deputy Mayor and City Councillor Dan Reynish and Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society Executive Director Natasha Carvalho.

Duguid said the project is an example of the kind of investment needed to help communities address housing challenges and support people in vulnerable situations.

“It’s a phenomenal project,” Duguid said.

“They’ve expanded their space to accommodate 30 people. Renovations to the kitchen. And made this a very welcoming environment for women to be invited.”

Duguid said supporting facilities like Phoenix Safe House is about ensuring people have access to safety and support when they need it.

“We need to keep people safe. That’s a fundamental responsibility of all governments,” Duguid said.

“We know that we live in times where domestic abuse, domestic violence, unfortunately, is on the rise,” he added.

“So all of us, including our communities, have a responsibility to keep people safe and, particularly, women facing that kind of challenge safe.”

Duguid said domestic violence can have long-term impacts that extend beyond those directly experiencing abuse.

“These women facing family violence, this affects their employment, affects the lives of their children, affects their productivity, affects their future,” Duguid said.

“And so if you’re going to have a productive society where everyone is contributing, this kind of abuse has to stop.”

With the shelter expanding, Duguid said this provides an important step for women transitioning toward a new life.

“This facility here we have, this is the emergency shelter, but just across the way, there is another shelter that allows women to stay up to a year so that they can integrate back into the community,” Duguid said.

“This is good for Medicine Hat. This is good for the children that we’re bringing up in our community. And frankly, it is a responsibility that all governments have to keep their citizens safe.”

The federal government says the investment is part of its broader efforts to address the housing crisis by supporting projects across the housing continuum, including emergency shelters, transitional housing, supportive housing and affordable homes.

The Build Canada Homes initiative aims to increase the pace of affordable housing construction while working with provinces, territories, municipalities and Indigenous communities to create more housing options, according to the government.

The project also received provincial support, with Duguid noting the combined investment totals about $9 million.

“It was $7.6 million from the federal government, CMHC, and $1.34 from the province, for about $9 million,” Duguid said.

For the Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society, the expansion means more space to provide safety and support for people experiencing violence and housing instability.

Carvalho said the renovations and expansion have given the organization more flexibility to support clients while improving the overall environment at the shelter.

“We renovated about 8,000 square feet of the existing space, and we added almost another 7,000 square feet to it,” Carvalho said.

“So it’s been quite a bit of extra space.”

Carvalho said the shelter continues to see demand for its programs, supporting about 1,200 clients annually through its emergency shelter, second-stage shelter and outreach programs.

“During June, we had almost 20 kids in the shelter. So it was a full house,” Carvalho said.

“So we’re just happy now that we have the space that people can spread out. They don’t have to share rooms.”

The federal government says investments like the Phoenix Safe House expansion are also intended to support local economies by creating jobs and strengthening Canadian supply chains connected to construction and housing development.

The $7.6-million investment was provided through the Affordable Housing Fund, which supports projects aimed at creating and preserving affordable housing across Canada.

by Jett Schwaier

VIDEO: Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society celebrates completion of shelter expansion

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