The Women’s National Housing & Homelessness Network joined a press conference in Vancouver for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25th
To kick-off the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the In Pursuit of Justice! conference in Vancouver hosted by the Battered Women’s Support Services held a press conference addressing the interconnected crises of housing precarity, sexualized violence, intimate partner violence, and femicide.
The panel featured WNHHN; Sandra Delaronde, Giganawenimaanaanig (we take care of them all), the Manitoba MMIWG2s+ Implementation Committee; Neelam, Surrey Women’s Centre; Samantha Loppie, Victoria Sexual Assault Centre; Kaitlin Scarperelli, Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre; and Angela Marie MacDougall, Battered Women’s Support Services.
Read the statement from WNHHN’s Stefania Seccia, Executive Director of Advocacy and Public Affairs:
Today, we are reminded that the fight to end gender-based violence must also be a fight for housing justice. Violence and housing are inextricably linked, with housing insecurity too often becoming a direct consequence of abuse and systemic inequality.
In Canada, over 60% of women experiencing homelessness report that violence was a driving force behind their loss of housing. Women, girls, and gender-diverse people are being forced into unsafe shelters, precarious living arrangements, or hidden homelessness to escape abuse—making them even more vulnerable to exploitation and harm. Despite the profound violence and trauma that women and their children face on the streets, each day many are turned away from domestic violence and homelessness shelters due to capacity issues.
Every day, women, and gender-diverse folks go back to their abusers or enter into dangerous living situations because they have no where else to go. We operate in a housing system that too often favours abusers.
Those who experience gender-based violence are prone to invisible homelessness, higher rates of discrimination from landlords, and face profound forms of violence just because of their gender or gender-expression. And the risk grows exponentially for Indigenous, Black, and racialized women and gender-diverse people. We need to break these pathways and build an equitable system that upholds the right to housing for women, Trans, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people.
Our research shows that Indigenous women, who are 3.5 times more likely to experience violence than non-Indigenous women, face disproportionately high rates of housing insecurity. This intersection of violence, racism, and housing inequality is unacceptable.
Safe and affordable housing is more than a roof over one’s head; it is a fundamental human right and a critical tool in ending cycles of violence. On this day, we call on all levels of government to prioritize investments in housing for women and gender-diverse people, particularly those fleeing violence. We must ensure that housing systems are trauma-informed, inclusive, and address the unique barriers faced by survivors.
We need to see an increase in funding, affordable housing, policy reform, and community support.
Ending violence means providing survivors with a pathway to safety, security, and stability—and that begins with housing. Together, we can build a future where no one has to choose between enduring violence and losing their home.
Thank you.
Watch a news clips covering the event here:
And more coverage from Global BC here: ‘No more femicide’: Vigil held in B.C. to remember 16 women killed in 2024
CBC News also covered the event here: Marking International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women