Statistics Canada Article on Shelters for Abused Women

The Statistics Canada publication Juristat has published an article on Shelters for abused women in Canada, 2012.

The information in the article is based on the 2012 Transition Home Survey developed under the federal government's Family Violence Initiative in consultation with provincial and territorial governments and transition home associations.

Among the highlights:

• in 2012, there were 601 shelters for abused women operating across Canada. 
• most women and children residing in shelters were staying at transition homes (34%), second stage housing (25%), emergency shelters (22%) and women's emergency shelters (13%). The remaining 5% were staying at other types of facilities, such as safe home networks and interim housing.
• about one-third (33%) of the women had stayed at that shelter before. The highest rate of re-admissions was reported by emergency shelter facilities, where almost half (49%) of snapshot date residents had stayed at the shelter previously.
• women reported various reasons for seeking admission. On average, each woman reported five distinct reasons for seeking shelter, with the majority of women citing emotional abuse (68%) and physical abuse (52%).
• Of the women reporting abuse as their primary reason for seeking shelter, 68% identified a current intimate partner as their abuser, with a further 17% reporting that their abuser was a former intimate partner.