Winnipeg's North End Women's Centre receives $400K for transitional housing program

The province is providing funding to help a Winnipeg women's centre maintain a transitional housing program.

The North End Women's Centre is receiving $400,000 to keep its eight-bed transitional housing program going, Families Minister Rochelle Squires announced Wednesday afternoon. The program supports women in long-term recovery from trauma and substance use.

Squires, who is also the minister responsible for the status of women, says the government remains committed to working with agencies and communities partners in addressing homelessness, mental health, substance use and family violence.

"North End Women's Centre has built a strong reputation based on years of service delivery and continuous adaptation to meet the needs of community," she said.

Federal funding for the centre's transitional housing program is scheduled to come to an end soon, Squires said. This is why the Manitoba government believed support was necessary to keep the program going.

Squires added that the centre's transitional housing program aligns with government priorities, including initiatives to combat sexual exploitation and human trafficking, address gender-based violence, strengthen mental health and addiction care, reduce poverty and honour the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's recommendations. 

"It is absolutely heartbreaking to see Manitoba have some of the highest rates of gender-based violence among the provinces in Canada," Squires said.

The centre offers services to support safer, healthier lifestyles for women, gender-diverse people and their families, including advocacy, information and referral, protection planning, individual counselling, support groups, children's services and outreach.

Priority is given to women who are pregnant, whose children are in the care of Child and Family Services, or working on reunification, who are being exploited and or living in gender-based violence situations.

Additionally, the transitional program offers wraparound supports, such as counselling, referrals, basic needs, cultural programming and a weekly relapse prevention group.

After exiting the program, participants have access to a housing mentor to help them secure housing and prevent the recurrence of homelessness.

"A healing journey can only be done when basic needs and basic rights are in place, and the ability to be present in that journey comes when you have a place to live," said Cynthia Drebot, executive director of the centre.

She added that supportive transitional housing in the community provides an opportunity for people to work toward healing, build a sense of community and increasing their support system.

"The idea of not being able to do that was quite frightening the last little while," Drebot said.

'I can never repay them'

Stephanie Sanderson is one woman whose life has been transformed for the better because of the centre.

Sanderson moving into the centre's transitional housing unit in July 2021 after being addicted to drugs for five years. She lived there for about a year before graduating from the program.

"Getting sober was hard, but North End Women's Centre gave me a home where I felt safe and where I had support," she said.

"The programming was phenomenal and the support was amazing."

Now 21 months sober, and a volunteer with the centre, Sanderson has full custody of her kids and full-time employment.

She is forever grateful the centre helped her regain her independence as a woman, and discover who she was on her road to recovery.

"The love I feel for the North End Women's Centre and what they've done for me, I can never repay them for what they've done for me," Sanderson said. "They've given me my life back."