True North Society has received $3.5 million through the Affordable Housing Partnership Program.
The society was selected as a recipient on June 24, and MLA Chantelle de Jonge, who advocated for the funding, presented the cheque to the organization.
True North Society's second-stage & affordable housing initiative aims to improve housing availability for victims of domestic violence with stronger intervention and support programs.
"The project is called Finding a True North, and it is an affordable housing project," said Amanda Vanderlaan, manager of research and development at True North, "As we've seen increased struggles in our community and increased barriers to care that clients have been experiencing, it really pushed us to work harder to see this dream come together as we see economic uncertainty and financial pressures rise across the province."
Vanderlaan said residents experiencing stress and relationship violence in rural communities like Strathmore are facing more and more barriers when trying to access care. Some, she added, are even forced to leave the community due to a lack of accessible housing.
"Survivors feel that they're forced to choose between returning to a dangerous home or facing homelessness, and that's where this project steps in," she said. "In our last fiscal year, only 48 per cent of our clients transitioned into stable housing and only three per cent transitioned to an owned residence."
To try and make a change, True North began planning the project back in 2019, conducting community assessments, developing a business case, and purchasing land to bring their dream vision to life.
In the past year, the organization conducted a multisectoral needs assessment using Health Seekers Technology to gather community voices and share survival experiences, ensuring that local needs are being met.
With funding secured, Vanderlaan revealed some early plans for the facility.
"We haven't decided what the occupancy is going to be yet, but we have some goals for a licensed daycare, maybe a fitness center or coffee shop. So, we're really wanting to work with our community to enhance our community at the same time of being self-sufficient and having those long-term goals for this project's stability," she said.
She added that the site will include fully accessible spaces for individuals with disabilities, culture-safe programming, and recreational and community gathering spaces. She's also hoping that the facility will have a playground.
"It's a community hub," Vanderlaan said.
True North plans to remain transparent with the use of public funds through annual general meetings and financial reports. The organization relies on a mix of grants, private donors, and partial government funding.
"Our community feedback is so important to us, which is why we continue to have these needs assessments and encourage our community to reach out with their questions."
True North Society continues to work toward becoming more self-sufficient while creating long-term stability for survivors in need of healing.