MELFORT — A new four-plex will help survivors of domestic violence adjust to life after a stay in the North East Outreach and Support Services’ domestic violence shelter in Melfort.
The $957,000 four-plex, which contains two two-bedroom units and two four-bedroom units, is located right beside the shelter.
“The women will be able to relocate from the shelter into one of our suites and still be in close proximity to supports from our outreach department,” said Louise Schweitzer, North East Outreach’s executive director. “These suites will provide safety, stability and a place for the family to heal together.”
Some of the survivors leaving the shelter might not have the skills required to be financially self-sufficient or they might be coping with trauma and PTSD. Being near the shelter means they can easily access those types of services.
The home can house the families for up to 12 months. Those interested in moving into the home will go through a vetting process to ensure those in the most need are offered a spot first. Once there, they’ll pay the same amount of rent as a low-income Saskatchewan Housing Corporation home.
Schweitzer said there’s been a need for such housing ever since the shelter opened in June 2016. North East Outreach has found the hardest homes to help domestic violence survivors find are the ones with larger families. Depending on the age and sex of the family members, the four-bedroom units can house up to nine people.
Having the new housing will mean increased turnover at the shelter, allowing more women in need to be aided.
The provincial and federal governments are contributing $670,000 to the project, while North East Outreach will contribute $287,000.
Construction started at the end of June and the plan is to have it ready to live in, fully furnished, April 1.
“This is great for the City of Melfort but it’s even more important for the Northeast region,” said Rick Lang, Melfort’s mayor, during a ground-breaking ceremony for the project Aug. 20.
Todd Goudy, MLA for Melfort, said his predecessor Kevin Phillips would have been excited to see the project start.
“This is something he had in his heart for a long time,” he said, adding that Phillips’ work in successfully lobbying the province for a shelter was one of the achievements he was most proud of.
