Okotoks may be the future home of a housing project for women and children fleeing domestic abuse led by the Rowan House Emergency Shelter.
The High-River-based shelter has served more than 200 women and children in the past two years, but is still currently turning away more than half the women who come to its door.
Executive director Sherrie Botten asked the Town for support on Oct. 11 to support its plans to expand its services in the community and provide additional housing for women as they transition from living in the shelter.
“The greatest challenge to Rowan House moving forward with the program expansion is, we need your help – we need land,” said Botten. “I certainly understand you don’t have the ability to hand over land, but it certainly carries a lot of weight if this Town council is supporting the Rowan House endeavor and the women and children fleeing an abusive state.”
Rowan House is looking for a parcel of land within Okotoks borders to build a 16-unit second-stage housing complex, she said. The apartments would be furnished and provide women and children safe housing for 12 to 18 months with a subsidized monthly rent.
Having permanent housing away from the abusive situation is often the most difficult part for women leaving domestic violence, she said. Rentals are hard to come by in the region, she said, so a designated space for women and children to transition from the emergency shelter into their new lives is important.
“These facilities usually have high security features to ensure the safety of resident women and children,” said Botten. “We want to provide them a safe space as they continue to heal.”
A higher level of ongoing support can also be provided to women as they rebuild their lives, she said. Case managers would be on-site to meet with women as needed and help guide them into the future.
She said Okotoks is the ideal location for a second-stage housing facility because it has seen the highest increase in rates of domestic violence in the region – more than 300 per cent in 2015 alone. It also has the highest population of all the communities in Rowan House’s coverage area and the lowest number of rental units available, she said.
“There has also been a demonstrated community financial support for Rowan House,” said Botten. “Over $500,000 towards our current crisis shelter came from the Okotoks region.”
The Rowan House board of directors is currently working with a five-year plan for the construction of a second-stage housing facility, she said. It will take years to launch the capital campaign and ensure that all funding sources are in place to pay for ongoing costs.
Operational funding could be available through the provincial and federal governments, though it could take time to raise the capital to build the facility.
“My board was not willing to go forward unless we could say this was financially feasible,” said Botten. “It may take a few years but it will be possible.”
