Crisis intervention is an important aspect of the work of friendship centres. We do experience high service demands among women who are in crisis, who are fleeing intimate partner violence and other forms of violence. Therefore, shelters and transitional housing are important immediate interventions. We do have a number of partners across the province who are playing an important role in this space, but with that being said, it is important to highlight that the shelter system itself is not an adequate response to violence and that in many cases it can be a hostile environment for indigenous individuals.
A more effective solution, in our view, would be to develop safe and affordable housing options for indigenous individuals and families, including women who have been victims of intimate partner violence, to empower them to recover from their experience of violence. For many years, the OFIFC has been calling on the federal government to invest in a national urban, rural and northern indigenous housing strategy. We know from our research that safe and affordable housing is a protective factor that counteracts the risk factors for, really, all forms of violence.
We're happy to provide more detailed information on the specifics of our ask. I think we provided some general information in our brief, but we're happy to follow up with details on the nature of that specific approach.