CMEDIA: Manitoba’s Families Minister Rochelle Squires, the minister responsible for the status of women, announced today funding amounting to $403,900 is being provided by the Manitoba government to facilitate the North End Women’s Centre (NEWC) maintain transitional housing program to support women in long-term recovery from substance use and trauma.
“Our government remains committed to…address the complex issues of homelessness, substance abuse, mental health, and family violence…federal funding of NEWC’s transitional housing program…in place to help its participants along their journeys to recovery,” said Squires in a news release.
A range of services is being offered by the NEWC to support safer, healthier lifestyles for women, gender-diverse people, and their families, including advocacy, information and referral, protection planning, individual counseling, support groups, children’s services, and outreach.
A holistic model and a harm-reduction approach by using reconciliation and anti-oppressive lenses, NEWC serves women who are homeless, facing poverty, and are challenged by substance use recovery and mental health. Priority is given to pregnant women. and others whose children are in Child and Family Services’ care, who are being exploited, or living in gender-based violence situations.
“Supportive transitional housing directly in the community provides an opportunity for people to work towards inter-generational healing, build a sense of community and increase their support system…North End Women’s Center is extremely grateful for this funding…in a safe, supportive and community-minded way,” said Cynthia Drebot, executive director, NEWC in the news release.
Aligning with a number of our government’s priorities, NEWC’s transitional housing program includes initiatives to combat sexual exploitation and human trafficking, gender-based violence, strengthen mental health and addiction care, reduce poverty.
NEWC’s transitional housing program honors the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action and the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls Calls for Justice, the minister said in a news release.
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