Crisis within a Crisis: Understanding the housing crisis and its impact on women’s shelters

A new national report from Women’s Shelters Canada, funded proudly by the Royal LePage® Shelter Foundation™, has shed light on the effects of a housing crisis on women fleeing intimate partner violence at local shelters and transition houses from coast to coast. 

Among survey respondents – which included individuals working in shelters and survivors accessing support – 99.5% felt that their community was facing a housing crisis, with 97% indicating that over the preceding year it had become harder to support survivors to find housing.

“These findings have confirmed what we’ve been hearing anecdotally from women’s shelters across the country for years,” said Anuradha Dugal, executive director of Women’s Shelters Canada and Board Member of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. “Since there’s no affordable housing, women are staying in shelters longer, which increases turn-away rates. It creates a bottleneck effect where new women can’t move in if women already in shelter have nowhere to go.”

While the majority of organizations surveyed have length of stay policies, only 3% abide by those timelines. Worryingly, compared to 2023, respondents reported that more survivors are leaving shelter for housing that does not meet their needs, is not safe, is unaffordable, and/or often contributes to cycling back into a shelter. Alarmingly, some survivors are choosing to return to abusers rather than face homelessness. When survivors are faced with such decisions, their stress escalates, and their well-being suffers; 92% of respondents had seen survivors’ stress increase due to the housing crisis. 

Yet despite all the challenges, shelters continue their lifesaving work by offering a range of supports to help women find housing and advocate for more housing options for survivors. Some organizations are responding to the housing crisis and the demand for shelter services by working to expand the number of units and/or shelters across the country. 

“Housing affordability is a deeply relevant issue for Royal LePage® professionals working to help Canadians in all corners of our country achieve their dream of home ownership,” said Lisa Gibbs, executive director of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. “While the situation is complex, we are hopeful that this nuanced report will help continue to move the needle in ensuring access to safe and affordable housing for everyone – especially those among us who are most vulnerable.”

Visit rlp.ca/donate to join the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation in its work to make home a safe place for everyone. 
Women’s Shelters Canada brings together 16 provincial and territorial shelter organizations and supports over 600 shelters across the country for women and children fleeing violence. If you or someone you know is experiencing violence, you can find your nearest women’s shelter and its crisis line at sheltersafe.ca.