The Welcome Centre Shelter for Women and Families in Windsor has been denied a $192,000 funding request from the city to expand its bed capacity, even as demand surges and hundreds of women are turned away.
Funding Request Denied
Executive Director Lady Laforet revealed that the requested funds would have stabilized eight temporary beds added earlier this year at the city's urging and created four additional flexible spaces. The shelter had hoped to meet the growing need for women's shelter beds across Windsor-Essex, as identified by both city administration and internal data.
Laforet stated that the funding request was submitted to city administration and also emailed to all city councillors. Despite the recognized need, the city declined to provide the $192,000.
Growing Demand and Turnaways
In the four months before adding eight temporary beds in January, the shelter turned away 328 women due to lack of space. After adding the beds, turnaways dropped by 57 percent to 140 over the following four months. Laforet emphasized the significant impact, noting that the additional beds helped get high-needs women off the streets, out of encampments, and away from sleeping in cars.
The city had previously approached the shelter twice to provide more beds, including a December request for temporary beds due to an expected cold winter. The shelter complied but received no funding, unlike past arrangements where the city provided financial support for temporary beds. In February, housing and children's services again asked for eight more beds, but the shelter could not afford it.
Underlying Issues
Common reasons women seek shelter include relationship breakdowns, lack of adequate housing, and eviction by landlords. The economic downturn from the trade dispute with the United States has exacerbated the situation, with more women arriving at the shelter. Windsor's unemployment rate stood at 8.1 percent in April, down slightly from 8.5 percent in March.
Laforet described rents as becoming "outrageous," even for poorly maintained or unsafe units. She expressed concern that women are languishing in the shelter, stating, "We are not interested in becoming a warehouse for people; warehouses are for things, not humans."
Funding Challenges
Most of the shelter's funding comes from the provincial government, administered by the city. However, Laforet noted that provincial funding has not increased in five years, putting additional strain on operations.
