YWCA announces $60M project to support women and families fleeing domestic violence

YWCA breaks ground on new centre WATCH: The YWCA announced a $60 million project to support women and families fleeing domestic violence. Wayne Mantyka has more.

A new $60 million YWCA Centre for Women and Families was announced in Regina on Tuesday.

The project is meant to support women and families fleeing domestic violence by providing them access to services, including 68 transitional housing units, 40 shelter beds, drop in services, and pre-crisis support.

Members of government, the City of Regina, donors and community partners joined the YWCA to announce the $60 million project, which will be located in Regina’s Cathedral neighbourhood.

The federal government is contributing about $33.9 million towards the project, the provincial government is providing $1 million, and the City of Regina has provided land valued at $2 million. The YWCA, through their Community Capital Campaign, brought $13 million to the project and the organization hopes to raise another $7 million during construction.

“The Centre for Women and Families has been, since day one, a project built from love, community, perseverance, and the belief that together, we can foster equity and healing. To see this hard work come into fruition today as we break ground is truly an incredible feeling,” said YWCA CEO, Melissa Coomber-Bendtsen, “This wrap-around hub of support is the first-of-its-kind in Canada, and the services we will be able to provide in this space will be truly transformative for our community’s women and families.”

The building, which will be 85,000 square feet, will feature community multi-purposes spaces, access to drop in supports, communal kitchens and play areas. It will also include a healing and ceremony lodge.

The new facility will replace a six storey high rise built downtown in the 1960s. It was designed as a residence for young working women who were new to the city and offered programming like swimming lessons. The YWCA serves different needs today that call for a redesigned facility.

Construction will take two years with the new centre ready to serve the community in the fall of 2024.