Petition can be found here: change.org/waterloo_womens_shelter

Hi everyone,

In Waterloo Region, Ontario, our women's shelter (run by YWCA) announced they were closing this past March, in order to the sell the building to develop shelters at a different location. At this point in time, there is no clear timeline on when these will be built/created.

Now, they are not accepting any more individuals into their shelter. The only other women's-only shelters are solely for women fleeing intimate partner violence(IPV).

Unfortunately that means the only options in Kitchener-Waterloo for cisgender and transgender women, and non-binary individuals who are not fleeing IPV, are two co-ed shelters. All the other shelters in Waterloo region are men-only.

Not only do most women feel unsafe in co-ed shelters, but they are often full each night. This means women and non-binary folks who become homeless due to eviction, fire, relationship/family breakdowns etc. are often ending up with nowhere to go. How is that fair?

I created this petition to call upon the Waterloo Region municipal government to create temporary emergency shelter specifically for cis women, transgender women, and non-binary individuals as an immediate solution to bridge the gap until a new permanent shelter is established.

Please sign and share this petition to show Waterloo Region Council & Municipal Staff that everyone deserves safe shelter and access to services that they need.

Women and non-binary folks deserve emergency shelter too.

Petition can be found here: change.org/waterloo_womens_shelter