Housing Support
“For the first time I feel safe and supported, I no longer cry myself to sleep every night.”
Safe Choice Transition House
The Safe Choice Program is a second stage transition home and provides supportive temporary housing to facilitate security, independence, and personal growth for women and children who have experienced violence. Independent living suits are available for women (and their children) seeking safety from family violence.
Most of our referrals are from first stage transition houses, shelters, the Domestic Violence Unit of the Vancouver Police Department, or Stopping the Violence counsellors. The Safe Choice Program typically serves families facing multiple barriers including issues of poverty, racism, health, immigration and language barriers.
The stay at Safe Choice is for up to 12 months while the women develop and follow through on a plan for their long-term independent living, free of family violence. Some of the services we provide are crisis intervention, ongoing support, safety planning, parenting support, life skills training, referrals to other resources and advocacy.
Goals of the Program:
• To provide safe and affordable short-term housing with support services
• To help participants maintain personal health and safety
• To help participants learn practical life skills
• After residential support has ended to continue to provide service to these families as need to resolve crises as they integrate into the community and live independently.
Getting Help
Child Protection Services in BC
Reporting Child Abuse in BC
Homeless Prevention Program
The Homeless Prevention Program (HPP) focuses on the prevention of homelessness by targeting individuals who are homeless or at risk of being homelessness. For ACT 2 the main target population for the program are women and children fleeing violence. However, the program also considers:
- Youth, including those leaving the care system
- Women who have experienced violence or are at risk of violence
- Individuals of aboriginal descent
- People leaving corrections and hospital systems
Women are typically referred through transition houses or the domestic violence workers. The main purpose of the program is to provide rental supplements and support through one on one meetings and referrals to the women and children, in order to ensure they are able to maintain housing. The program is meant to last no longer than one year, with rental supplements being given on a monthly basis at a maximum of $450 each. The amount of the supplement depends on the client’s income and assets. Although they primary purpose of the program is to provide support and rental supplements, it also provides a range of other supplements (maximum of $450 per client) to client’s not receiving rental supplements. Some example of these supplements are:
- Start-up cost supplements (primarily focuses on buying basic items for clients who have no items for their new home)
- Damage deposits
The Homeless Prevention Program is funded through the Canada-BC Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) Agreement 2014–2019.
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