The Women's Interval Home (WIH) is looking for land to build supportive housing in the City of Sarnia.
Executive Director Jennifer Vansteenkiste said the accommodations would be specific to helping women recover from intimate partner violence.
"The lack of affordable housing results in 79 per cent of victims never leaving an abuser, 31 per cent returning to the abuser, and 65 per cent of survivors experience housing insecurity when they leave emergency shelters," said Vansteenkiste.
She said addressing women's trauma, and preparing them for long term housing, is a homeless prevention strategy.
"Many of these women have children with them and research has shown that children who experience homelessness are more likely to be homeless as adults, due to lost growth and developmental opportunities," Vansteenkiste said.
She said survivors face a high degree of discrimination in the rental market.
"42 per cent of survivors report discrimination while searching for housing, resulting in only 10 per cent of survivors being successful in their search," she added. "This occurs in part, due to the belief that abusers and police will show up at the residence."
Vansteenkiste said economic abuse by abusers -- which includes isolating victims and preventing them from completing school, getting or maintaining a job, or stalking and harassing the victims in the workplace resulting in them losing employment -- further complicates the issue.
"The loss of financial independence impacts survivors' ability to secure housing. In fact the majority of homeless females have experienced intimate partner violence, and more than 92 per cent of homeless mothers have experienced severe physical and sexual abuse in their lifetime," she said.
Sarnia council unanimously accepted the organizations request for city staff to review surplus land, and identify a property near a bus route, stores and schools that could be donated for the project.
"We have determined that we need one, two and three bedroom units and probably in the range of 15 to 20 units," Vansteenkiste said. "This development will include specialized supports, and programming for women and their children to assist them in independent living and prepare them for affordable and private market rent housing."
The WIH said an application has already been filed with the County of Lambton for start-up funding and having a specific site would help unlock federal and provincial dollars to support the development.
