The number isn't high, but some women and children have been turned away from the Rowan House Emergency Shelter over the last year.

Executive Director Sherrie Botten says one is too many.

Botten says there's a real need for transitional housing.

"We have women that are staying in the shelter that are ready to move into some safe, affordable housing and cannot find that, so then we're turning away someone who's in need and that's never a good situation and it never feels good," Botten says.

Rowan House is moving ahead with a feasibility study to determine the best way to move forward with transitional housing for women and children in need.

"What we are looking at is what we can do in terms of progressive or transitional housing, what can we do to help families that are ready to move out of the crisis emergency communal living shelter and into their own housing.," she says.

She says part of the effort involves help from all three levels of government as well.

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