Shelters for women and children in Canada say they are in a crisis, with not enough beds to keep up with demand for their service.
The Women’s National Housing and Homelessness Network reports that approximately 699 women and 236 accompanying children are turned away from domestic violence shelters across Canada each day.
Jasminder Sekhon, director of community engagement, EDI and policy at Victim Services Toronto, says a lot of women are struggling to leave dangerous situations right now because they don’t have the economic resources to do so.
“When people are leaving, they’re looking for a safe place to go, and when shelter beds are absolutely full to the brim, and there isn’t enough space for people experiencing these forms of violence, many people end up getting turned away,” Sekhon says. “When people, their children, their pets are being turned away from going into shelter, then those individuals may not have anywhere to turn.”
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Victim Services Toronto …