Abusers are exploiting the housing crisis in British Columbia, according to domestic violence survivors interviewed by a Vancouver non-profit organization. Rise Women’s Legal Centre engaged with over 40 victims of intimate partner violence and released a report suggesting legal reforms to expedite access to protection orders and expand legal aid services for victims seeking safer housing options.
Haley Hrymak, a staff lawyer at Rise, conducted interviews with victims and stakeholders in the legal system and domestic violence support groups to compile the report. The report highlights how B.C.’s housing crisis often traps individuals in abusive relationships or forces them to return due to the lack of affordable housing alternatives.
The report emphasizes the need for amendments to B.C.’s Family Law Act to consider factors like housing affordability and family violence when deciding on protection orders and relocation applications. It also recommends enhancing legal aid services to assist survivors in obtaining family property and suggests improving communication within the family law system to expedite protection orders and child support proceedings.
Erin Seeley, CEO of YWCA Metro Vancouver, revealed a significant waitlist of over 1,000 women and families seeking transitional and long-term housing units. Despite efforts to increase housing units, the waitlist persists, with some individuals hesitant to accept short-term stays due to uncertainties.
Seeley commended the call for increased legal aid funding and stressed the importance of trauma-informed and sensitive approaches towards intimate partner violence victims within the family law system. She expressed disappointment in the lack of federal budget allocation for women in housing but remains hopeful for continued funding from women’s advancement and gender equality initiatives.
The B.C. Attorney General’s office mentioned an investment exceeding $1 billion in women’s transitional housing over a decade and ongoing reviews of the Family Law Act following recommendations from the Stanton report. Proposed changes may involve broader eligibility for protection orders and streamlined processes for consecutive orders to enhance victim support and collaboration within the legal system.