Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region’s Aspen Place a step toward independence: Transitional housing program made possible through WRCF Community Grant

Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region (WCSWR)’s new transitional housing has been beneficial on many fronts.

Opened in August 2022 with funding help from Waterloo Region Community Foundation, Aspen Place has given women and children fleeing domestic violence a new place to call home.

The Kitchener property has also helped alleviate a “bottleneck” created by the unfortunate high demand for emergency shelter in the region. Perhaps equally important, though, is that Aspen Place – transitional housing for as many as three moms and 12 children – offers a chance for a deep breath, followed by an exhale.

“When they’ve been in emergency shelters for so long, that can get really tiring and a bit discouraging, too,” Communications and Fund Development Manager Jenna Mayne said. “That’s not to say we don’t have great programs and lots of great things happening in the shelters. But you don’t want to live in an emergency shelter for a year.”

WCSWR has for many years operated two emergency shelters. Anselma House in Kitchener and Haven House in Cambridge combine to provide 90 beds as part of its mandate to help those in need “move beyond violence by providing safe shelter, education and outreach services.”

But the housing crisis, combined with domestic violence rates reportedly increasing by 30 per cent across Canada during the pandemic highlighted the critical need for additional housing options.

Recently, waitlists for affordable housing have increased from about four to six months to one to two years.

As the number of shelter intakes continues to spike, and with the understanding that emergency shelter is not a long-term or comfortable solution, transitional housing has long been on the organization’s radar.

“This is the first time we’ve ever offered any sort of transitional housing program,” Mayne said. “The idea of it is to move people out of our emergency shelters and then into more permanent, or semi-permanent housing. More independent living while they’re waiting to line up their next stay.”

Where clients would at one time stay in the two emergency shelters for no longer than a few months, maybe four months maximum, today some have been staying for more than a year. Nearly half of the organization’s shelter residents stay for more than the intended three-month period.

“It’s just not ideal for women and kids to have to live in an emergency shelter for that length of time,” Mayne said. “It’s just so nice to see the moms and kids moving into somewhere where it’s kind of a fresh start. To see them moving into their own units. Making that house their own and being able to have that time with their family and move forward.”

The organization named its new home after the aspen tree, which is known for growth and shelter. The trees never grow alone, are always connected to groups, and are resilient. 

“Because of the housing crisis, there’s been a much longer wait to get into more permanent housing, especially for bigger families with three or more children that would need bigger units,” Senior Communications and Events Coordinator Lillie Proksch said. “We’ve really found a bottleneck within our shelter system because we can’t find those units and then those larger families are staying up to a year in our shelters.

“Having Aspen Place is giving us the opportunity to open up those bedrooms so that more people who need emergency shelter are able to have it when they need it – and those bigger families are able to wait for affordable housing (while) in Aspen Place,” she added. “They’re able to stay up to a year while they’re on the list. That allows the affordable housing list to open and get them the unit they can live in more permanently.”

Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF) distributes Community Grants annually to organizations within the region that provide support to residents. In 2023, about $500,000 is available to organizations focused on initiatives linked to affordable housing.

“Because of WRCF, we’ve been able to grow the transitional housing program and lots of other programs, too,” Mayne said. “It wasn’t too long ago we toured some people from WRCF through Aspen Place. They’re always so interested in what we want to do. Just so supportive. It just really means a lot to have their support.”

Eight moms and 16 children have lived in Aspen Place as of late spring 2023. Residents have their own kitchen and privacy thanks to three separate units. Additions were made to what was previously a bungalow and the top floor of one of the units is staff offices, a board room and client meeting space for on-site support staff.

“It’s just really exciting to see the opportunity that it’s giving,” Proksch said. “One, to the people who are moving into Aspen Place, to be able to have more independence with some support but much less support. They can live in independence and do whatever is best for them. But then also, it’s a great way for people who are in emergency situations within the region to have the option to come to emergency shelter if it’s needed for them.”

Mayne said Aspen Place was needed and she hopes it’s the first of many transitional housing opportunities.

“It was just such a necessary program. It was something that we had to do. We wouldn’t be able to bring more people into the emergency shelters,” she said. “I think the pandemic pushed us into it because it made the backlog more pronounced, and we had to move on it and make it happen.”

If you would like to learn more about WCSWR and the programs they offer, visit https://wcswr.org.