The typical client hasn't really changed. Women are now staying for up to two or three weeks and are asking for help writing resumes and also want help finding permament housing. The shelter can only give women tips on how to find housing, but cannot pull strings with the Iqlauit housing authority. The longer stays give the shelter's counsellors more time to get their anti-violence message across, but it also forces the shelter to provide more services. The crunch for affordable housing is making it more difficult for women to leave abusive relationships and set up their own homes.
Most women go back to the same situation.
They have an investment in the family and want to see it succeed. That's compounded by the lack of housing. Iqaluit expects to receive six new social housing units this year, but Hughes-Wieczorek said the new units won't go far enough. The housing would be heavily subsidized and would provide counselling to tenants who need help getting their lives in order, Hughes-Wieczorek said. It's not a shelter.