Women’s Shelters Canada (WSC) launched the Second Stage Transitional Housing (SSTH) New Build project in 2022 to support gender-based violence (GBV) shelter organizations in creating more SSTH units. It is incredibly difficult for a small, charitable organization to take on a development project independently, requiring time, capacity, and expertise that many shelters simply don’t have. Through this project, our team brings development expertise to provide hands-on project management support for shelters undertaking this work.
As we come up to the four-year anniversary of the SSTH New Build project, Kyla Tanner, Development Project Manager, and Megan Golfetto, Project Coordinator, are taking a moment to reflect on what has been accomplished over the last four years, made possible through funding from The Slaight Family Foundation, which allowed WSC to offer these services to shelter organizations at no cost.
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Why We Do This Work
Gender-based violence (GBV) and the housing crisis are deeply interconnected. As GBV rates continue to rise and affordable housing becomes increasingly scarce, survivors face significant barriers to accessing safe, stable, and affordable housing. While emergency shelters play a critical role in immediate safety, they are not designed to offer the time and stability many survivors need to heal and plan for independent living once the crisis period ends. Second stage transitional housing fills this critical gap by providing safe, affordable housing alongside supports. For many women and children, it is lifesaving but there are far too few second stage homes across Canada to meet the need. This shortage has real and lasting consequences for survivors across the country.
From Idea to Action
The SSTH New Build project was envisioned at a time when Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) funding programs were available to support GBV organizations in creating new shelters and second stage transitional housing. While funding opportunities existed, many shelter organizations lacked the internal capacity, technical knowledge, and time required to successfully navigate complex capital projects and funding applications. Initially, WSC planned to support shelters with funding applications only. It quickly became clear, however, that this was not enough. Deeper, longer-term support was needed to create successful projects.
As a result, the SSTH New Build project expanded its services to support shelters throughout the entire development process. Our services include:
- ‘Knowledge and coaching’ through early-stage conversations about project readiness and next steps
- Communities of practice that bring together shelters at similar stages of development to learn from one another
- Hands-on project management support throughout the development process, including work on feasibility assessments, financial analysis, funding applications, consultant coordination, and construction administration
Rather than offering one-time assistance, WSC works alongside shelters for years. For many, our longer-term commitment has made their projects possible, with the SSTH team becoming a critical support to Executive Directors (EDs) and CEOs.
Building this program also required growth and learning within WSC. Offering development and construction project management was a significant expansion of WSC’s role and required learning at all levels of the organization, including staff and Board. It took time to establish a dedicated two-person team, and since June 2023, Megan and Kyla have worked closely together to deliver this support.
Over time, it became clear that project management support was the most critical factor in moving projects forward. While the SSTH project has provided some direct funding to shelters, it is the sustained, hands-on project management support that has made the greatest difference.
I cannot overstate the value that Women’s Shelters Canada’s Second Stage Transitional Housing New Build project has brought to our project. While the Executive Director of a transition house does shoulder a myriad of duties and responsibilities, I was simply not equipped to also act as a Project Manager (PM) for such a significant project. The knowledge and professionalism of my WSC PMs, coupled with their support and encouragement through many difficult decisions, has made the project a true success. I have no doubt that, without WSC’s support of this project, we would still be many years away from completion. Thank you WSC for going the extra mile to uplift services to women facing gender-based violence! – shelter Executive Director
Building with a GBV-Sector Lens
Why We Do This Work
Gender-based violence (GBV) and the housing crisis are deeply interconnected. As GBV rates continue to rise and affordable housing becomes increasingly scarce, survivors face significant barriers to accessing safe, stable, and affordable housing. While emergency shelters play a critical role in immediate safety, they are not designed to offer the time and stability many survivors need to heal and plan for independent living once the crisis period ends. Second stage transitional housing fills this critical gap by providing safe, affordable housing alongside supports. For many women and children, it is lifesaving but there are far too few second stage homes across Canada to meet the need. This shortage has real and lasting consequences for survivors across the country.
From Idea to Action
The SSTH New Build project was envisioned at a time when Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) funding programs were available to support GBV organizations in creating new shelters and second stage transitional housing. While funding opportunities existed, many shelter organizations lacked the internal capacity, technical knowledge, and time required to successfully navigate complex capital projects and funding applications. Initially, WSC planned to support shelters with funding applications only. It quickly became clear, however, that this was not enough. Deeper, longer-term support was needed to create successful projects.
As a result, the SSTH New Build project expanded its services to support shelters throughout the entire development process. Our services include:
- ‘Knowledge and coaching’ through early-stage conversations about project readiness and next steps
- Communities of practice that bring together shelters at similar stages of development to learn from one another
- Hands-on project management support throughout the development process, including work on feasibility assessments, financial analysis, funding applications, consultant coordination, and construction administration
Rather than offering one-time assistance, WSC works alongside shelters for years. For many, our longer-term commitment has made their projects possible, with the SSTH team becoming a critical support to Executive Directors (EDs) and CEOs.
Building this program also required growth and learning within WSC. Offering development and construction project management was a significant expansion of WSC’s role and required learning at all levels of the organization, including staff and Board. It took time to establish a dedicated two-person team, and since June 2023, Megan and Kyla have worked closely together to deliver this support.
Over time, it became clear that project management support was the most critical factor in moving projects forward. While the SSTH project has provided some direct funding to shelters, it is the sustained, hands-on project management support that has made the greatest difference.
I cannot overstate the value that Women’s Shelters Canada’s Second Stage Transitional Housing New Build project has brought to our project. While the Executive Director of a transition house does shoulder a myriad of duties and responsibilities, I was simply not equipped to also act as a Project Manager (PM) for such a significant project. The knowledge and professionalism of my WSC PMs, coupled with their support and encouragement through many difficult decisions, has made the project a true success. I have no doubt that, without WSC’s support of this project, we would still be many years away from completion. Thank you WSC for going the extra mile to uplift services to women facing gender-based violence! – shelter Executive Director
Second stage transitional housing cannot be approached like any other housing project. While many non-profit housing developers support a wide range of projects, our team works exclusively with GBV shelters. We combine technical affordable housing development experience with deep knowledge of the realities survivors and shelter staff navigate every day. This focus allows us to bring sector-specific expertise and lessons learned from projects across the country, from those we have directly supported, as well as those we have engaged with more informally.
Second stage transitional housing is more than just creating units. Design decisions must be trauma-informed, with elements that support safety, privacy, and dignity throughout. We begin each project with an in-depth visioning process, including structured input from staff, Boards, and survivors. This work results in a clear Project Vision that guides key design decisions, and we revisit it throughout the development process.
We’ve learned that flexibility is a recurring priority. Most shelters want designs that can adapt to the changing needs of families. For example, having a two-bedroom unit and three-bedroom unit side by side with a lock-off bedroom between them allows the units to change as needed, accommodating anything from a single survivor to larger families.
Shared community space is also important. Second stage transitional housing should have places for women to heal together and build supportive relationships that extend beyond their time in the building. We’ve seen that a single open community room – combining kitchen, dining, living, and children’s play areas – fosters far more use and connection than separated rooms. When these rooms are separated, the feeling of community within the building is lost.
Our team works closely with shelter organizations to navigate each phase with a GBV-informed lens, from feasibility to occupancy. By combining deep sector knowledge and technical development expertise, we aim to support shelters in creating spaces for healing and safety. It’s important to us that we’re creating more than just buildings.
What Is Needed for a Successful Build
Development projects are complex. Unless someone works on multiple projects daily, it’s difficult to know everything that needs to be done, and no two projects are the same. Each are shaped by location, funders, timelines, and community context. To help demystify the process, our team created a three-part, 4.5-hour webinar series outlining the process at a high-level.
Working across provinces has made it clear how fragmented Canada’s housing systems and policies are. While our expertise is essential, every successful project also requires a dedicated internal champion within the organization who can commit significant time to moving the work forward and making key decisions. This is typically the ED or CEO of the shelter.
Strong foundations matter. Projects are far more successful when there is a clear vision, defined decision-making authority, and a shared understanding of the development process from the outset. When early steps are rushed or skipped, it is difficult and costly to recover later.
Regular, transparent communication among all partners is equally critical. Although the SSTH team is based in Ottawa, we prioritize in-person meetings whenever possible to build trust, strengthen relationships, and set projects up for long-term success.
These lessons extend to the broader design and construction team. Architects, engineers, and builders often work alongside shelters for years, and publicly funded projects bring additional requirements that not all teams are familiar with. Choosing partners who understand the organization’s vision, share its values, and are willing to work collaboratively is essential. Development projects are inherently challenging; they are far more manageable when teams are patient, transparent, and committed to finding solutions together.
Our Impact
Over the past four years, the SSTH New Build Project team has helped turn housing visions into concrete progress.
Valued at approximately $1.4 million, we provided in-kind project management services for five second stage transitional housing projects. We helped them navigate complex planning, funding, and development processes; support that many shelters would otherwise not have had the capacity to access.
The team’s efforts helped secure nearly $17 million in capital funds for new second stage transitional housing projects, benefiting seven shelter organizations.
Beyond just individual builds, since 2022, we connected with 40+ individual GBV shelter organizations across the country from 10 different provinces and territories to offer advice, next steps, and provide general coaching for their new project.
Take a look at these shelters our team helped bring to life:
What Comes Next for the SSTH New Build Project
The past four years have demonstrated the ongoing need for this work. It’s clear that the need for second stage transitional housing continues to grow. Across the country, more shelter organizations are stepping forward with plans to create safe, long-term housing for survivors, and demand for our team’s support continues to exceed WSC’s current capacity. For this work to have a lasting impact, it must not only continue, but grow, enabling more SSTH projects to move from idea to reality.
WSC will continue to advocate for increased and sustained funding for GBV projects. As the national voice for shelters, we have consistently called on the federal government to provide dedicated capital funding for the GBV sector to support the creation of SSTH and permanent housing. These projects rarely move forward without support from all three levels of government.
Operational funding is also critical. Rents in SSTH projects are intentionally kept low to ensure affordability for survivors, but these levels are often not enough to cover ongoing operating costs. Continued advocacy at the provincial level is needed to secure stable operational funding, which is a requirement for accessing federal capital dollars and for ensuring the long-term sustainability of these homes.
Looking Ahead with Gratitude
WSC extends our sincere thanks to The Slaight Family Foundation for the funding that has made it possible to offer these essential services to shelters at no cost since 2022. This support has also allowed WSC to provide pre-construction funding, helping shelter organizations move projects forward during early feasibility stages.
We are equally grateful to the shelter organizations we have worked alongside over the past four years. We deeply value the trust that was built as we navigated complex and demanding development projects together. Thank you for welcoming us into your work and allowing us to be part of your teams.
As demand for second stage transitional housing continues to grow, we remain hopeful and committed to carrying this work forward. The need is only increasing, and we are passionate about supporting the creation of more safe, affordable housing for survivors across Canada.