Government funding will help Blooming House pilot a women’s shelter
Housing Action Plan supporting shelter solutions
The provincial government is partnering with community organization, Blooming House, to open a women’s shelter in the Charlottetown area later this month as a winter pilot project.
Blooming Housing will receive $60,000 from the Province to hire the staff needed and get this important project up and running to help Island women in urgent need of this service.
“Women in need of emergency shelter in the Charlottetown and surrounding areas will now have a safe and warm option to go to this winter. Caring community organizations, with government support, play a vital role offering services to women in need of additional support at an urgent moment in their lives. This is one shelter solution among a number of others that we are working on with community partners.” - Family and Human Services Minister Tina Mundy.
A Housing Action Plan task force is collaborating with community partners across the province to help Islanders tackle the variety of challenges some are experiencing in securing shelter.
“The province’s investment in this pilot along with support from the City of Charlottetown responds quickly to a need while we work on longer-term shelter solutions,” said Minister of Finance Heath MacDonald and lead of the Housing Cabinet Committee.
“Blooming House aims to be a safe place, and fill a gap as one of the only overnight options for homeless women in Charlottetown. We aspire to create a warm environment, free of judgement,” explains Liz Corney, Blooming House co-founder. “This funding will help us pay our staff who will be responsible for the safety and care of our guests. Our pilot project for the next few months will help us learn more about the needs of women in Charlottetown so we can plan for the future of Blooming House.”
Blooming House will operate eight beds this winter and complement existing shelter services offered through the PEI Family Violence Inc. Anderson House and Chief Mary Bernard Memorial Women’s Shelter in Prince County. Bedford MacDonald House is an emergency shelter option for men operated by the Salvation Army.
Media contact:
Bobbi Jo Walker
Senior Communications Officer
Family and Human Services
902-213-4507
bjwalker@gov.pe.ca
Brynn Devine and Liz Corney
Blooming House Co-founders
902-213-9419
bloominghousepei@gmail.com