Research
Research at Women’s Shelters Canada connects frontline experience with evidence to shift systems to strengthen safety and justice for survivors of gender-based violence. We co-create knowledge with shelters and partners, turning what we hear on the ground into national reports, policy analyses, practical tools, and stories that the sector can use to influence change in every jurisdiction. We bring this evidence directly into national policy conversations, helping shape legislation and national strategies that affect survivors and the shelter and transition house sector. Our research continues to deepen its focus on justice, decolonization, and emerging approaches to safety so that policy, funding, and practice reflect the realities of women and trans, Two-Spirit, and non-binary people, and their children.
National Report on Women’s Shelters in Canada
In March 2026, Women’s Shelters Canada launched the second edition of our national profile of shelters and transition houses (THs) serving women, children, and gender-diverse people fleeing violence. Sheltering Under Pressure: Frontline Realities of Canada’s Violence Against Women Shelters and Transition Houses presents updated evidence on how shelters are operating under sustained strain due to chronic underfunding, aging infrastructure, workforce pressures, and the ongoing affordable housing crisis.
Shelters across Canada were invited to complete the 2025 National Survey in March 2025. This study builds from our 2019 More Than a Bed report, capturing new data to identify emerging challenges, trends, and opportunities in the shelter sector.
2025 National Survey Advisory Committee Members
- Hannah Lee, Director of Membership, BC Society of Transition Houses (BCSTH)
- Miranda Pilipchuk, Research & Evaluation Coordinator, Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS)
- Dan Meades, Provincial Co-ordinator, Transition House Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (THANL)
- Michelle Parsons, (now former) Executive Director, Yukon Women’s Transition Home Society (YWTHS)
- Marlene Ham, Executive Director, Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH)