A Notice of Motion from Okotoks Mayor Bill Robertson which passed in Council Monday, Aug. 21 may help the Rowan House Society Emergency Shelter find some much needed real estate.
The motion directs administration to encourage developers and other pertinent individuals to donate parcels of developable land for the construction of a Rowan House transitional housing expansion.
Mayor Bill Robertson says the town has seen a 102% increase in domestic violence cases from 2014-2017, which proves a need for more shelter such as the Rowan House.
He shares a transitional housing shelter for those who have recently left the Rowan House would be desirable, providing longer term options for woman and children fleeing domestic violence.
"The need for transitional housing is definitely there to allow the woman another option rather than perhaps going out and trying to find accommodation, and then budgeting and so on," he says. "Perhaps some of these woman from other cultures, or whatever their circumstance may not have been used to doing a family budget, or paying rent on accommodation, and of course rents are very expensive in the Okotoks and Calgary region. So transitional housing would allow them to move in for a period of time, for six months to a year, with subsidized rent and mentorship programs to allow them to transition into regular society if they're going to be a single parent."
The Notice of Motion from Roberston explains how transitional housing would free up space at the Rowan House in High River, stating the shelter has turned away nearly half of the women and children in need, due to a lack of available space.
Robertson shares the Notice of Motion will not demand developers consider land for transitional housing, but the town will act as a conduit of information instead.
"Perhaps one of those developers or more could donate some land, there's any number of different options, but trying to provide lands so the Rowan House could build transitional housing within the town of Okotoks, that was the intent of the notice of motion. Certainly it's up to the good will of the developers, it's basically providing information because often developers may not know about the Rowan house."
The Notice of Motion passed on a six to one vote.
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