Thank you.
Ending violence against women and gender-based violence requires communication and collaboration among governments, ministries, the justice system, businesses, social services, and survivors. It requires that every policy in government, and across sectors, is considered from an intersectional feminist lens. Every leader, every service provider, and every interaction where power exists must consider these questions: Who is being served? Who is being harmed? Who is being left behind by this policy?
When we begin to ask these questions, we see that the magnitude of the changes required to prevent and respond appropriately to violence against women is immense. While we strive to create the conditions to achieve systemic change that will prevent violence against women, it is important to narrow in on critical factors that can make an immediate and positive change to improve safety for survivors of violence. Basic quality-of-life barriers still exist to survivors, which prevent them from successfully exiting an abusive situation. Access to a living income and access to safe housing are the two barriers that we see on a day-to-day basis.
Today I will focus on housing. Interval House of Ottawa and all other violence against women shelters in Ottawa have been operating at maximum capacity for decades. Demand for safe shelter has increased, and people in our community have nowhere to go when they make the difficult decision to leave the abuse. The result is that when families are finally able to access space, we are seeing an intensity of abuse that is much greater than ever before.
On the surface, it may appear that more shelter beds are needed. I would argue that this is not the case, at least not if we choose to take a long-term approach. It is, instead, an issue of a lack of deeply affordable housing.
In January 2020, the City of Ottawa declared a housing and homelessness state of emergency. To date, the wait-list for subsidized housing has grown to 13,000 households, and it can take families up to 10 years to secure a home with the city. This crisis is having a devastating impact on women and families across Ottawa, especially those who are survivors of violence. Not only are shelter capacities being reached, but a lack of affordable housing is a significant barrier for survivors to leave abusive relationships.
What's more, a bottleneck effect is created in shelters, because women and their families struggle to leave the shelter while rent continues to rise to unaffordable margins. The impact is that families remain in shelter far beyond what is needed to support immediate safety concerns, and people experiencing violence in their homes cannot access safe shelter in a timely manner.
We also cannot ignore that COVID-19 has significantly exacerbated the issue of violence against women. Widespread lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, while necessary from a public health perspective, trap women and their families at home with their abusers. This creates difficult and debilitating conditions that can lead to dangerous situations with tragic outcomes.
Global data collected from the UN in 2021 shows that 45% of women reported that they or a woman they know has experienced a form of violence since the pandemic started. With the increasing intensity and frequency of violence against women during COVID-19, it has become its own pandemic, coined “the shadow pandemic”. Now, more than ever, women are feeling unsafe at home, with little to no option of escape due to barriers like a lack of shelter space and affordable housing.
It has been encouraging to see and experience support from all levels of government over the past couple of years to assist shelters like IHO to continue operating, and even expand services during the COVID pandemic. As life begins to return to a new normal, it is critical that we lay a foundation to support women who have faced the greatest impact from the pandemic and are experiencing violence at an accelerated rate. The first step to safety is having a safe place to move to. Without that, taking the next steps to rebuilding a life after violence is impossible.
All Canadians, but particularly survivors of violence, need access to safe and deeply affordable housing. Housing is a right that many are being denied. This is not an issue that can wait. Families cannot thrive without safe housing.
I call on this government, and all governments, to prioritize increasing the housing stock at an accelerated pace. With adequate investments and partnering with new providers, such as shelters like Interval House, we can provide healthier, safer futures for survivors of violence and their dependants.