The Housing Crisis for Women Fleeing Violence in Surrey

with Sarah Rehimi

The Surrey Women’s Centre has been around for over 20 years. Its priority is women and children who have experienced violence. It offers a range of programs, from a mobile assault response team, to helping women go through court, to supporting them as they get re-established after leaving a violent situation. The challenge for many of the women who come to the Women’s Centre is the initial separation from a partner who is violent. A main concern is, “What do I need in order to make sure that my children and I can stay safe?” A huge part of that is finances, because often the partner has been paying the bills and the woman hasn’t been able to work. Many women stay because they feel that they can monitor the situation better by having eyes on it, rather than being separated and sending the children to visit on their own. So the immediate concerns when a woman decides to leave are: where do I live, how do I finance myself, and how do I keep my kids safe? (…)