Lack of available affordable rentals can leave Windsor-Essex women in 'unsafe situations.' Here's why
CBC
Not having enough available and affordable rentals in Windsor-Essex can cause women to stay in abusive or unhealthy relationships, some shelter providers say.
A rental market report from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released this week pointed out that of the region's affordable options there were "no vacancies" for one bedroom units. An affordable unit is one where the tenant pays 30 per cent or less of their income on rent.
Anthony Passarelli, lead economist for southern Ontario with CMHC, said that not having these units available for low to mid-income renters is a "big warning flag that more supply is needed."
Shelter service providers in the region say that while housing affordability impacts everyone, it particularly affects those who are struggling with homelessness, addiction or intimate partner violence.
CMHC's rental report also found that while more rentals were being built, these new units were only affordable to the area's highest-income renters and primarily located outside of Windsor in Amherstburg, Lakeshore and St. Clair Beach.
According to the report, the average rental cost of a one-bedroom in Windsor this year increased to $1,095.
In a letter to the city last month, the Legal Assistance of Windsor (LAW) — which provides legal support for survivors of gender-based violence — said that since 2021, eight women have been murdered in the region as a result of intimate partner violence.
It also said that in 2022 and 2023, Windsor police received more than 6,400 calls for service related to intimate partner violence. And over the last two years, LAW said that it has seen an "overwhelming demand" for service, helping more than 320 survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault.
The letter highlights that a variety of resources, from all levels of government, are what will address this worsening issue.
"It is well noted a lack of access to safe and affordable housing is a significant barrier preventing survivors from exiting a violent relationship," reads part of the letter.
And that's echoed by local women's shelters: Hiatus House and the Welcome Centre Shelter for Women and Families. Both told CBC News that affordable housing is an important piece of the puzzle, but that, increasingly, it's in short supply.
"It's not to say that the women that we're working with aren't resourceful and independent, but when you can't afford to live safely, when you don't have that basic need met, then you end up often in very unsafe situations," said Sylvie Guenther, executive director of Hiatus House.
Not being able to secure a place to live can mean women end up staying with an abusive or violent partner, but it can also mean they end up homeless or repeatedly cycling through shelters.
Guenther says it wasn't always like this: Women leaving abusive relationships or sexual assault survivors are prioritized through the City of Windsor's housing program. But while they used to be housed relatively fast, Guenther says now there's nothing available.
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