Vulnerable women and children fleeing violence in the Kamloops area have a new option for housing.
The Province says it has opened 14 new homes for that purpose in a partnership with BC Housing and the Kamloops and District Elizabeth Fry Society (KDEFS).
"These 14 homes will be instrumental in providing women and children with the safe, long-term housing options they need in times of crisis and on the path to recovery,” said Ravi Kahlon, minister of housing.
The townhouse-style homes are spread across a pair of three-storey buildings, with direct outdoor access and in-suite washing machines and dryers. A shared amenities space is available to all residents.
The Province notes that they will “provide long-term, affordable rental housing for women and gender-diverse people leaving violence, including transgender women, Two-Spirit and non-binary people, along with their children.”
KDEFS will operate the new homes and the operator’s offices will be located on site.
"We are thankful for the opportunity to work with BC Housing to expand services to include these new units of housing to women and their children fleeing, or at risk of, intimate-partner violence," said Holly-Rose Vesper, director of operations, KDEFS.
The Province, through BC Housing, invested around $7.2 million through the Building BC: Women’s Transition Housing Fund to the project. Another $66,950 in annual operating funding will be provided to the KDEFS.
In an effort to protect those who need it, the location of the building is not being publicized.
