Following renewed calls from the official opposition and advocacy groups, the province says it will provide operational funding for second stage shelters in the upcoming 2023 budget.
Justice Minister Bronwyn Eyre revealed the expanded funding during question period on Wednesday.
“In the upcoming budget we will be expanding our commitment to second stage shelters beyond capital funding,” Eyre said, in response to questions from the official opposition.
When asked for specifics regarding the newly proposed funding, Eyre did not elaborate, explaining that more details would be available once the provincial budget is announced later in March.
“It will be new money announced in the budget for second stage shelters,” she explained to reporters following question period.
When asked why the province committed to more funding now after longstanding calls for action on the matter, Minister Eyre said the government needed time to find where new funding would be best suited.
“We wanted to establish whether that first stage of shelter service also can do a certain amount of transition service and I think that’s become clearer that second stage is an important next step to protecting women and those fleeing interpersonal violence,” Eyre explained.
“So we’ve looked at very seriously what operators are out there who can offer it, how they can offer it and how we can best invest in it.”
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NDP MLA Nicole Sarauer told reporters she was pleased with the announcement, but said the opposition will be watching carefully at how exactly the new funding will be rolled out.
“We’re really happy to hear this news. This is something that we, along with those who provide this service, have been calling for from this government for years,” she said.
“It’s taken a while but this is a positive step forward.”
Sarauer was unable to comment on how exactly the funding should be distributed. However, she stressed that consultation with organizations that provide second stage shelter services should have the final say.
“We do want to see this as sustainable funding so multi-year funding. We want to ensure that those who are providing this service are directly consulting on how this money should be rolled out, we don’t think this should be dictated by the government,” she explained.
“We want to see actual, meaningful consultation with those actually providing this service.”
