CROSSROADS SHELTER

“The biggest reason women end up being homeless is because of violence and abuse.”

When the YWCA opened a larger shelter in 2011, it averaged 74 per cent occupancy that year.

Since then, numbers have continued to climb, hitting the 90th percentile in 2015-16 and staying that way.

Zimmer attributes the spike to events in the news at the time. CBC radio personality Jian Ghomeshi was charged with sexual assault after multiple women came forward. The “Me Too” movement was also gaining momentum.

“Maybe we’ve created a stronger climate to women come forward.”

The YWCA experienced a big influx in crisis calls and in women reaching out to the organization at the time, Zimmer said.

In the last year alone, 135 women and 67 kids stayed at the shelter, a contrast to when Crossroads first opened. Back then, there were more children than women because families were bigger.

On average, Zimmer said women stay at Crossroads for about six weeks.

And while YWCA staff do everything they can to squeeze in another woman or child, sometimes there just isn’t room.

All they can do is help women cope and find make-do solutions.

“It’s horrible,” Zimmer said of having to turn someone away.

After all the years of raising awareness of violence and abuse, and working hard to put an end to

‘‘ Even though the social safety net has expanded, the problem isn’t going away. LYNN ZIMMER

YWCA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

it, Zimmer said the issue hasn’t gone away.

“The need has not diminished … even though the social safety net has expanded, the problem isn’t going away.”

NOTE: The YWCA’s 24hour support and crisis line is 1-800-4617656. Women can also text

705-991-0110