NHI - News Releases (Government of Canada provides over $1.4 million to help Aboriginal women and children in British Columbia)

News release

April 8, 2004

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Government of Canada provides over $1.4 million to help Aboriginal women and children in British Columbia

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA — The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Honourable Claudette Bradshaw, Minister of Labour and Minister responsible for Homelessness, today announced the Government of Canada’s contribution of $408,997 toward the Lodge Transition House and $483,653 toward Reclaiming Our Spirit. An additional $585,310 is being contributed in partnership with the Lu’ma Native Housing Society to Spirit Way Second Stage Housing.

The projects, operated by the Helping Spirit Lodge Society, will provide Aboriginal women and children with holistic and cultural programming to assist them in overcoming the effects of violence; the projects will support healing programs that offer both safety and sanctuary.

“I would like to congratulate the Helping Spirit Lodge Society for its commitment to providing support programs and assistance to Aboriginal women and children,” said Minister Goodale. “The Government of Canada is proud to support these projects, which are making an important difference in the lives of its users.”

The Government of Canada is investing $892,650 through the National Homelessness Initiative’s (NHI) Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative and an additional $585,310 through the NHI’s Urban Aboriginal Homelessness component. The National Homelessness Initiative is making a difference in communities by encouraging the development of local solutions to help alleviate homelessness.

The Government of Canada launched the NHI in December 1999 to support communities’ efforts to help Canadians out of homelessness. Over $1 billion is being spent towards the federal government’s commitment to addressing homelessness in

Canada. Since the NHI was launched, the Government of Canada has supported 295 projects, with a total of almost $70.7 million to alleviate homelessness in British Columbia and the Yukon.

Funding for this project was provided for in the 2004 federal Budget.

SUMMARY OF PROJECTS

• The Lodge Transition House: $408,997 • Reclaiming Our Spirit: $483,653 • Spirit Way Second Stage Housing: $585,310 • Total Government of Canada funding: $1,477,960 under the National Homelessness Initiative.

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Since December 1999, communities across Canada have undertaken over 1,800 projects, funded wholly or in part by the National Homelessness Initiative. These projects will result in:

The creation of approximately 8,000 new, permanent beds in shelters, transitional, and supportive houses;
The construction, renovation, and enhancement of roughly 1000 sheltering facilities and support facilities, such as food banks, soup kitchens and drop-in centres;
The transfer of 50 federal surplus properties worth over $9 million, which will result in the creation of 214 transitional and affordable housing units; and
In addition to the Government of Canada investment, partnerships have leveraged over a half billion dollars towards the implementation of homelessness projects in Canada.

For more information on the Government of Canada’s National Homelessness Initiative, visit our Web site at www.homelessness.gc.ca.

For more information, contact:

Sara Clemmer
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
(604)666-9157

Bernie Whiteford
Helping Spirit Lodge Society
(604) 872-6649

John Embury
Minister Goodale’s Office
(613) 996-7861

Denis D’Amour
Minister Bradshaw’s Office
(506) 851-3419

BACKGROUNDER

HELPING SPIRIT LODGE SOCIETY ASSISTS ABORIGINAL WOMEN AND CHILDREN THROUGH THE LODGE TRANSITION HOUSE, RECLAIMING OUR SPIRIT AND SPIRIT WAY SECOND STAGE HOUSING

Founded in 1990, Helping Spirit Lodge Society (HSLS) operates a range of programs and services dedicated to assisting in the alleviation of family violence and its effects, such as homelessness, on Aboriginal women and children in Vancouver and surrounding areas.

HSLS coordinates a program called The Lodge Transition House, which is a 33-bed transition house for homeless or at risk of becoming homeless Aboriginal women and children who are looking for safety, sanctuary, and healing programs.

The Lodge Transition House

Some of the Lodge Transition House’s activities include: onsite individual, family, and youth counseling, outreach to ensure clients have support after leaving the Lodge, assisting individuals find longer-term housing, and onsite child care to allow mothers to attend various workshops and programs.

Reclaiming Our Spirit

Another project HSLS coordinates is Reclaiming Our Spirit (ROS). ROS is a drop-in centre for Aboriginal women and their children. It opened January 2003 and offers a wide variety of holistic and cultural programming to assist women and their children overcome the effects of violence. The programs will help them gain control of their lives so that they can become productive members of their community.

Spirit Way Second Stage Housing

Spirit Way Second Stage Housing provides second-stage housing, healing, and educational programs to Aboriginal women and their children who are victims of violence. Currently, Spirit Way provides 14 supportive and safe housing units with 31 beds to Aboriginal women and children who are victims of family violence for a period of up to 18 months.

PARTNERSHIP CONTRIBUTIONS

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)

National Homelessness Initiative:

HRSDC’s National Homelessness Initiative, is contributing $408,997 to Lodge Transition House through its Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative to cover operating and staffing costs. The Department will also contribute $483,653 to Reclaiming Our Spirit.

Lu’ma Native Housing Society:

HRSDC’s National Homelessness Initiative under Urban Aboriginal Homelessness in partnership with Lu’ma Native Housing Society will contribute $585,310 to Spirit Way Second Stage Housing.