Status of Women committee  It's interesting, because I agree that we need emergency shelters and second-stage shelters for a very limited short period of time. What our partner agencies are telling us is that, once that immediate need is addressed, a woman with children is very successfully housed in commu

Status of Women committee  We agree with Jeff that it comes to the emphasis on accessible, affordable, community-based housing. We know this from our experience, and we heard it from our partner agencies, including those who provide shelters or second-stage shelters. I don't want to call it a caveat, but

Status of Women committee  Thank you for that question. I'm glad you asked. In Calgary, I also happen to be a co-chair of the Community Housing Affordability Collective, which is a group of not-for-profit and private sector landlords in Calgary who come together to work on issues related to housing and b

Status of Women committee  Thank you. The short answer is yes, we do. Women are very fearful, as you say, because if they find themselves in a shelter that is not specifically for women they face the real danger of losing their children. That's not necessarily the case when you are with the women-focused

Status of Women committee  If I understand your question correctly, who are the people who seek housing with us? They are people who are of low income. Some of our individuals or families would live on limited incomes, which they may be on for the rest of their lives due to disabilities. Some of our resi

Status of Women committee  Horizon Housing is the largest not-for-profit charity in Calgary that focuses on families, individuals, seniors and specialized populations, including women fleeing violence. There are larger providers in Calgary, but we are the largest in terms of owning our own portfolio. We ow

Status of Women committee  It's one way to describe it. We call it integrated, inclusive housing. Our largest development is 200 units in a community in Calgary. Having that mixed community when it comes to incomes and needs creates a fiscally responsible environment. It's a building that sustains itself o

Status of Women committee  Thank you for that question. It's a really good one. It's an interesting one. To me the answers all speak to the diversity of women who experience violence. We can say that, ideally, home ownership is.... Some people will argue it's the ideal. Some people will say maybe do not s

Status of Women committee  Thank you. I would echo Jeff's comments around the need to sign the bilateral agreements. Three have been signed. I come from Calgary, Alberta, and they are still working with the federal government on that agreement. We need to do whatever we can, both from the provincial side

Status of Women committee  Again, we are from Calgary, so take our city as an example. We know that we need to add more than 15,000 affordable rental housing just to meet the average in other large cities. That's how much we are behind the rest of Canada. The lack of access to supported affordable housing

Status of Women committee  Thank you very much. Good afternoon everybody, and thank you for the opportunity to participate in this important conversation. My name is Martina Jileckova, and I am here today in my capacity as CEO of Horizon Housing Society. We are an affordable housing charity in Calgary.