Georgina
November 12, 2008 06:46 PM
A new women’s shelter will open in Richmond Hill, executive directr at Sandgate Women’s Shelter, Jehan Chaudhry, announced last week.
“Sandgate has been aware, since we opened our doors in 1992, that there is no crisis bed space in southern York Region,” she said. “Although the community is fast growing and recognized as under serviced the only existing shelters are situated in the northern half of the Region.”
After opening community programs in Markham in 2006 it became even clearer time to fix this anomaly, Ms Chaudhry said.
“As the concern became vital we knew that Sandgate needed to find a way to operate shelters in two locations and we did.”
She credited support staff from the Ministry of Community and Social Services for their approval of the operational plan and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for their assistance with the capital plan.
The new house will be smaller than Sandgate’s Georgina house with 10 beds, but all of the services will be offered at both locations.
The house will be renovated during the winter with an April 1 opening in mind, she said.
“We will continue to operate our Community Programs spaces in Markham and Keswick and the Transition House in Sutton,” she said. “It will be wonderful to give women the opportunity to live in either Richmond Hill or Georgina as they make choices for themselves. “