Breaking the Cycle of Abuse and Closing the Housing Gap: A Mixed Methods Community-Based Study on Second-Stage Shelters

Abstract

This Canadian study investigates second-stage shelters, a type of transitional housing for survivors of intimate partner violence. Data collection included an online survey and semi-structured interviews. The survey was completed with 97 responses by executive directors of second-stage shelters from every province and territory. Seventeen semi-structured interviews were conducted with executive directors and current and former residents of second-stage shelters in five provinces and territories across Canada. The results indicate that these shelters provide many benefits to survivors, but operate in a challenging context of chronic underfunding, which affects their capacity to maintain their programming and staffing. This study contributes to the small body of research on transitional supportive housing, providing new insights into how second-stage shelters help survivors meet their individual goals and into the role played by these shelters in the continuum of supports for women and children fleeing violence.