News Release: Shelter Pulse Database – Supporting the Capacity of Violence Against Women Shelters Nationwide with Trauma-Informed Policies
March 26, 2024
News Release
March 26, 2024
News Release
Canada – March 26, 2024
The Rural Development Network and Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter Association are thrilled to announce the launch of the Shelter Pulse Database – an online database of research-based, trauma-informed policies and procedures for violence against women shelters across the country. Through the partnership between Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter Association and Rural Development Network, and conversations with rural women’s shelters across Canada, we identified a need for increased capacity in policy development and maintenance, specifically focusing on trauma-informed and feminist lenses.
“The Shelter Pulse Database project enabled rural and remote shelters to work together in providing trauma-informed policies and procedures for violence against women shelters in Canada. The experts from the field that gathered to share their knowledge to the Shelter Pulse Database make this new tool invaluable. Under the leadership of the Rural Development Network, many partner shelters contributed to the outcome”, says Cindy Easton, Executive Director of the Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter Association.
This project recognizes that many rural and remote women’s shelters face barriers beyond their control as they struggle with small budgets and less staff capacity, resulting in administrative work often taking a back seat to support community members accessing services. Aimed to fill this gap in capacity, the Shelter Pulse Database is a comprehensive resource designed to provide women’s shelters with easy access to essential policies and procedures. Developed in collaboration with those in the shelter/Violence Against Women (VAW) sector, this database offers a wealth of current best and promising practices and information to help enhance their operations and support services.
Lisa Bélanger, CEO of the Rural Development Network, explains, “Rural communities and organizations often face unique barriers and capacity challenges. Our goal with this project has been to build the capacity of rural women’s shelters by creating this policy database, and we are so thankful for all the partners that have contributed to make this impactful resource a reality.”
The Shelter Pulse Database is unique for a couple of reasons: (1) it is a platform for those working in the shelter/VAW sector to work and collaborate, and (2) it has customizable policy and procedure templates that are downloadable into editable Word documents. This allows shelters across Canada to align every policy and procedure with the distinct needs and circumstances of the organization and community in which they serve. Equally significant is the database’s capacity to receive real-time feedback on individual policies and procedures via adjacent comment boxes, ensuring that regular updates and additions are considered and relevant resources can be easily shared.
If you work in women’s shelters or the gender-based violence sector, you are invited to check out the database and create an account at www.shelterpulse.ca.
For more information, please contact:
MEDIA CONTACT:
Mary McGuire
Project Manager
587-792-2282
Lisa Bélanger
CEO
587-792-2199
ABOUT THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORK
RDN is a not-for-profit that facilitates, supports, and champions rural community development through collaboration, research, and service provision. RDN supports the sustainability of rural communities and works with communities to amplify the “rural voice”. RDN collaborates to identify and bring focus to rural issues, build local capacity, and find innovative, rural-based solutions to unique issues.
ABOUT MOUNTAIN ROSE WOMEN’S SHELTER ASSOCIATION
Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter Association (MRWSA) was incorporated in 1990 and since that time provides services to women and children who are in immediate need of safety and security due to domestic/family violence. MRWSA’s mission is to provide resources and support to individuals and families impacted by domestic violence in West Central Alberta. Their vision is to ensure the availability of 24-hour crisis intervention, domestic violence support, resources and accommodation while promoting a non-violent society through prevention, education and awareness.
This project has been funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada.
Canada – Le 26 mars 2024
Le réseau Rural Development Network et la Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter Association sont heureux d’annoncer le lancement de la base de données Shelter Pulse. Cette base de données en ligne, destinée aux maisons d’hébergement pour femmes violentées de l’ensemble du pays, contient des politiques et des procédures fondées sur la recherche et tenant compte des traumatismes. Le partenariat du réseau Rural Development Network avec la Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter Association et les conversations avec diverses maisons d’hébergement pour femmes en régions rurales des quatre coins du Canada nous a permis de cerner un besoin d’accroissement des capacités en élaboration et en entretien de politiques, plus précisément des politiques tenant compte des traumatismes et des questions féministes.
« Le projet de base de données Shelter Pulse a permis aux maisons d’hébergement en régions rurales et éloignées de travailler ensemble pour aboutir à des politiques et à des procédures tenant compte des traumatismes, ces politiques et procédures étant destinées aux maisons d’hébergement pour femmes violentées au Canada. Les connaissances mises en commun par les spécialistes du domaine dans le but de réaliser la base de données Shelter Pulse font de ce nouvel outil une ressource d’une importance inestimable. De nombreuses maisons d’hébergement ont joué un rôle dans cette ressource, sous l’égide du réseau Rural Development Network, a déclaré Cindy Easton, directrice générale de la Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter Association.
Ce projet reconnaît que bien des maisons d’hébergement pour femmes font face à des obstacles indépendants de leur volonté, disposent de budgets modestes et ont une capacité de personnel restreinte, au point où il arrive souvent que les tâches administratives soient négligées pour consacrer plus de temps aux services auxquels les membres de la communauté doivent avoir accès. La base de données Shelter Pulse a pour but de resserrer l’écart sur le plan des capacités. Cette ressource exhaustive est conçue pour aider les maisons d’hébergement pour femmes à avoir facilement accès aux politiques et aux procédures essentielles. Cette base de données, préparée en collaboration avec les intervenants du secteur des maisons d’hébergement et de la violence faite aux femmes (VFF), offre une panoplie de pratiques exemplaires et prometteuses ainsi qu’une gamme d’informations visant à améliorer les opérations et les services de soutien de ce secteur.
Lisa Bélanger, cheffe de la direction du réseau Rural Development Network, explique : « Les communautés et les organisations des régions rurales font souvent face à des obstacles uniques et à des défis en matière de capacités. Avec ce projet, notre objectif consiste à renforcer les capacités des maisons d’hébergement pour femmes en régions rurales en créant une base de données de politiques. Nous sommes très reconnaissants envers tous les partenaires qui ont joué un rôle dans la réalisation de cette ressource des plus efficaces. »
La base de données Shelter Pulse est unique pour deux raisons : 1) il s’agit d’une plateforme permettant aux personnes du secteur des maisons d’hébergement et de la VFF de travailler ensemble et de collaborer; et 2) il s’agit d’une plateforme comprenant des modèles de politiques et de procédures en documents Word téléchargeables, personnalisables et modifiables. Tout cela permet aux maisons d’hébergement de l’ensemble du pays d’ajuster chaque politique et chaque procédure aux circonstances et aux besoins propres à leur organisation et à la communauté où elles évoluent. Il est aussi important de noter que cette base de données a la possibilité de recevoir des commentaires en temps réel sur les diverses politiques et procédures grâce aux cases de commentaires adjacentes, ce qui permet de considérer des mises à jour et des ajouts réguliers, en plus de favoriser le partage de ressources pertinentes en toute facilité.
Si vous travaillez dans le secteur des maisons d’hébergement pour femmes ou de la violence sexiste, nous vous invitons à jeter un coup d’œil à cette base de données et à créer un compte à www.shelterpulse.ca.
-30-
Pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez communiquer avec :
PERSONNE-RESSOURCES POUR LES MÉDIAS :
Mary McGuire
Gestionnaire du projet
587-792-2282
Lisa Bélanger
Cheffe de la direction
587-792-2199
AU SUJET DE RURAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORK
Le réseau Rural Development Network (RDN) est un organisme sans but lucratif qui facilite, soutient et favorise le développement communautaire rural par le biais de la collaboration, de la recherche et de la prestation de services. RDN soutient la durabilité des communautés rurales et travaille en collaboration avec les communautés dans le but d’amplifier la « voix rurale ». RDN travaille en collaboration avec les communautés pour cerner et faire valoir les enjeux ruraux, renforcer les capacités locales et trouver des solutions rurales novatrices à des enjeux uniques.
AU SUJET DE LA MOUNTAIN ROSE WOMEN’S SHELTER ASSOCIATION
La Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter Association (MRWSA) a été constituée en 1990. Depuis, elle a fourni des services aux femmes et aux enfants ayant des besoins immédiats en matière de sûreté et de sécurité en raison de la violence domestique et familiale. La mission de cette association consiste à fournir des ressources et du soutien aux personnes et aux familles touchées par la violence domestique dans le centre-ouest de l’Alberta. Sa vision consiste à faire en sorte que ses services d’intervention en cas de crise ainsi que de soutien en matière de violence domestique et d’hébergement soient disponibles 24 heures sur 24, tout en faisant la promotion d’une société sans violence par le biais de la prévention, de l’éducation et de la sensibilisation.
Ce projet a été financé par Femmes et Égalité des genres Canada.
ALBERTA – January 22, 2023 — On behalf of the Rural Development Network (RDN), the Sustainable Housing Initiative (SHI) is excited to announce that we have completed the 2nd Phase of the Enabling Housing Choice project, which provided recommendations for increasing housing choice in six Alberta communities.
SHI is working to support housing development that is diverse and more affordable through its Enabling Housing Choice Project. This project was made possible through funding and support from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF).
The purpose of this 2nd Phase has been to provide recommendation reports that promote housing choice and diversity in the Towns of Bow Island, Trochu, Mayerthorpe, Claresholm, and Pincher Creek, as well as the City of Airdrie. These reports have been informed by extensive research and community engagement, to better understand how the recommended changes can best address each community’s diverse housing needs.
“The Enabling Housing Choice is responding to the national housing crisis by working alongside municipalities in developing and implementing transformational policy change” says Linda Bernicki, Director of Community Development and Indigenous Engagement at RDN. “We are very excited to have completed the second phase of this project with these communities, and to help address the housing shortage in the community through transformational policy change.”
“This timely project seeks to find solutions to the housing crises being faced by municipalities across our province. As a foundation with real estate roots, we have the responsibility to explore how our funding programs can strengthen the real estate industry and can support consumers, whether as renters or homebuyers”, says Patti Morris, Executive Director of the Alberta Real Estate Foundation. “We are honoured to invest in this effort to support diverse, sustainable, and equitable housing development in Albertan communities.”
Next Steps For the Enabling Housing Choice Project:
For further information about the Enabling Housing Choice Project, please visit: https://www.housingredefined.ca/enabling-housing-choice-project
For more information, please contact:
MEDIA CONTACTS
Linda Bernicki
Director of Community Development and Indigenous Engagement
lindab@ruraldevelopment.ca
Holly Udall
Marketing & Communications Manager
ABOUT THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORK
RDN is a not-for-profit organization that facilitates, supports, and champions rural community development through collaboration, research, and service provision. RDN supports the sustainability of rural communities and works with communities to amplify the “rural voice”. RDN collaborates to identify and bring focus to rural issues, build local capacity, and find innovative, rural-based solutions to unique issues.
To learn more about RDN, visit www.ruraldevelopment.ca.
ABOUT THE SUSTAINABLE HOUSING INITIATIVE
In 2015, RDN created the Sustainable Housing Initiative (SHI) in direct response to rural communities expressing their need for support in addressing the critical lack of affordable housing. This issue has not received the same attention and resources as it has in urban centres, and comes with unique challenges requiring unique solutions. The SHI conducts research, data analysis, produces housing needs assessments, business plans, financial analyses and more. This lays the groundwork necessary for projects to access funding from governments, banks, and other sources, which is often the biggest hurdle to overcome.
To learn more about SHI, visit www.housingredefined.ca.
ABOUT THE ALBERTA REAL ESTATE FOUNDATION
The Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF) was established in 1991 to advance the real estate industry and strengthen Alberta’s communities. Created under the Real Estate Act after years of discussion between industry leaders and officials in the provincial government, the Foundation started making an impact right away by funding initiatives to help educate and train real estate professionals. AREF invests in real estate policy, research, practices, and education that strengthen Alberta’s communities.
To learn more about AREF, visit https://aref.ab.ca/.
Edmonton, Alberta – January 10, 2024 – The federal government has announced additional funding that will allow the Rural Development Network (RDN) to distribute approximately $4 million over the next two years to Alberta’s rural, remote, First Nation, and Métis Settlement communities through the Reaching Home Rural and Remote funding stream.
As the Community Entity for the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home Rural and Remote funding stream in Alberta, the Rural Development Network is currently accepting applications through a Call for Proposals to fund projects that aim to prevent or reduce homelessness in their communities. Alberta’s rural, remote, First Nations, and Métis Settlement communities and organizations are eligible to apply for funding to conduct projects in 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. Projects may start as early as April 1, 2024 and end as late as March 31, 2026.
“Investing in these local solutions supports community-led projects that help those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. We will continue working with the Rural Development Network to support those most in need in rural, remote and Indigenous communities across Alberta,“ says the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
The additional $4 million in funding will be distributed to communities and organizations that aim to reduce or prevent homelessness outside of the 7 major cities in Alberta.
“As homelessness and housing insecurity continues to be on the rise in rural, remote and Indigenous communities in Alberta, it is increasingly important to support innovative and locally driven community responses to homelessness,” says Sydney Stenekes, RDN’s Director of Homelessness Initiatives. “We welcome the additional Reaching Home funding from the federal government and hope to support a diverse range of projects across the province, supporting both immediate needs and longer term solutions through this Call for Proposals.”
Eligible communities and organizations can apply through the online application form before February 9, 2024, 11:59PM MST. To reduce barriers for First Nation and Métis Settlement communities who are interested in applying for funding, the Rural Development Network has developed an alternative application process under the guidance and feedback of Indigenous partners; Indigenous communities or organizations may submit a letter of intent through the online application form in lieu of a general application. Selected applicants will then be invited to partake in an oral application process.
For more information about the 2024-2026 Reaching Home Call for Proposal, or to apply for funding, visit the Rural Development Network’s website.
This program is funded by the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy.
For more information, please contact:
MEDIA CONTACT:
Sydney Stenekes
Director, Homelessness Initiatives
1-613-986-5207
programs@ruraldevelopment.ca
ABOUT THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORK
The Rural Development Network is a not-for-profit that facilitates, supports, and champions rural community development through collaboration, research, and service provision. RDN supports the sustainability of rural communities and works with communities to amplify the “rural voice”. RDN collaborates to identify and bring focus to rural issues, build local capacity, and find innovative, rural-based solutions to unique issues.
ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA’S REACHING HOME FUNDING
Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy is a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada. This program provides funding to urban, Indigenous, rural and remote communities to help them address their local homelessness needs.
Reaching Home supports the goals of the National Housing Strategy, in particular, to support the most vulnerable Canadians in maintaining safe, stable and affordable housing and to reduce chronic homelessness nationally by 50% by fiscal year 2027 to 2028.
ALBERTA – Oct. 3, 2023 – Earlier in 2023, the Rural Development Network (RDN) partnered with 21 communities across the province to capture a comprehensive picture of rural, remote, and Indigenous homelessness. The results indicated that women, 2SLGBTQIA+, and Indigenous people are disproportionately at risk of being or currently experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness across rural Alberta.
The data collected in March 2023 identified 2,429 survey respondents as housing insecure according to the national definitions of homelessness. Additionally, the 2,429 housing insecure survey respondents reported sharing housing insecure living conditions with 2,354 dependents and 2,537 adults. That is, based on survey results, at least 7,320 community members are experiencing housing insecurity in the 21 participating rural, remote, and Indigenous communities across the province.
More specifically, RDN discovered that:
“The data coming out of the 2023 provincial estimation are highlighting some very concerning trends – data indicates that vulnerable or minority population groups are at much higher risk for housing insecurity in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities,” says Emma Wallace, Project Manager of Community Development and Homelessness Estimations at RDN.
Based on the survey results, the top three reasons for housing insecurity across participating rural, remote, and Indigenous communities in Alberta are:
The data also suggests that despite an employment rate of 64% among housing insecure respondents, 49% reported an annual household income of $49,999 or less in 2022. This, combined with the fact that according to the Economic Research Institute (2023), the cost of living is an average of 6% higher than the national average across all 21 communities and an average of 4% higher than the provincial average in Alberta across all participating communities, speaks to the main reported reason for housing insecurity among respondents: low wages. In other words, without adequate wages to match their communities’ cost of living, housing insecure respondents will continue to struggle with housing insecurity.
Survey respondents further indicated that increased availability of affordable housing, public transportation, and services would help improve housing insecure respondents’ housing situations.
“Our goal at RDN is to support rural, remote, and Indigenous communities to identify and bring focus to rural issues, including housing insecurity. Data collected in each participating community should allow them to better address housing insecurity locally and, when combined to reflect the provincial picture, will allow for improved provincial and federal decision-making and funding allocations to address rural, remote, and Indigenous homelessness,” says Wallace.
This is the third provincial estimation project that RDN has conducted with rural, remote, and Indigenous communities in Alberta, with two other estimations conducted in 2018 and 2020 respectively. More information about these results can be found on the Rural Development Network website.
“The data provided by the Rural Development Network (RDN) in the 2023 Alberta Housing and Services Needs Estimation will help us make targeted decisions to address housing insecurities and other aspects of homelessness in Alberta. We will continue to work with partners to help create safe, stable, and affordable housing throughout Alberta and across Canada,” says The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages.
To learn more about the 2023 project, check out the 2023 Alberta Provincial Housing and Service Needs report.
This project was funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy.
-30-
For more information, please contact:
MEDIA CONTACT:
Adrienne Vansevenandt
Marketing & Communications Manager
11443-143 Street,
NW Edmonton,
Alberta T5M 1V7
