Affordable Housing
Women, especially single mothers and women leaving violence, are hardest hit by Metro Vancouver’s housing crisis. Safe, affordable housing is critical to women’s safety and well-being.
YWCA Metro Vancouver is working towards a future where safe, secure housing is affordable and accessible for all women and their families.
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Metro Vancouver has among the highest rents and lowest vacancy rates in Canada.
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Almost two-thirds of minimum wage earners in BC are women. High rents mean that safe and adequate housing is out of reach for many women, especially women parenting alone.
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The lack of housing options places women at greater risk of returning to or staying in an abusive situation. The housing crisis also makes women vulnerable to exploitation.
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Affordable housing is a first, critical step towards a woman’s personal and economic security.
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Safe, secure housing improves health and education outcomes for children by providing stability and freeing up resources for food and other essentials.
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We provide long-term housing for single women and their dependent children.
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We provide emergency accommodation and transitional housing for women who are leaving abuse.
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We provide holistic supports and community-building opportunities for residents, including legal supports, violence prevention and connections to other YWCA programs.
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We partner with government, business and community leaders to build more housing for women and families.
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We advocate for public investment in affordable rental housing for women and single mother-led families, and women leaving abuse.
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We advocate for progressive social policy, including increases to social assistance rates and universal early learning and child care.
Give women and their children a safe place to call home.
Building housing for single mothers and their children continues to be a fundamental priority for the YWCA. With more than a thousand women on YWCA housing wait lists, we continue to seek partnerships and funding to make affordable housing a reality.
