Neighbourhood right for temporary women’s shelter
I would like to share my view that I support the temporary women’s shelter facility in our community. Here’s why:
Ours is a safe neighbourhood — exactly the kind of place where a vulnerable woman should go if her own safety is at risk. It is the kind of place I would want to be if I were unsafe and needed help. Closing our “doors” to women in need means we are keeping them in the shadows and in unsafe conditions.
Women that are homeless, like all homeless people, become homeless because of circumstance (not necessarily because of substance abuse). Contributing factors include lack of income, high rents and low supply of affordable housing (Source: SFU). Any one of us could end up in a situation where we lose one, or all, our safety nets (our families, our health, our jobs, our homes). This means that fundamentally we are no different than the women in need of this facility.
Only 10 to 15 women are expected to use this facility — from the evening to the very early morning only, and with strict measures in place to protect their safety and the safety of the surrounding community. These are women who have courageously reached out for help to regain control of their lives.
Inviting vulnerable women into our neighbourhood makes us a community with a heart — one that is willing to help others when they need it most. If you needed help and asked for it, wouldn’t you want someone to reach out in response?
Emily Doyle-Yamaguchi
Cairnsmore resident
