Nova House Campaign

Challenges

Nova House is no longer able to provide an environment conducive to healthy living and healing. With the changing demographics of Niagara Falls and the increasing need for our services, the current facility is too small and stretched beyond its capabilities to meet the needs of our clients and the communities of Niagara Falls and Fort Erie. Ideally, resident programs within shelters are short-term and provide emergency crisis intervention and assist in generating solutions for victims of abuse. Traditionally, in the past, lengths of stay within a shelter have been approximately 4 weeks. Population increases, lack of affordable housing, and increased housing costs surrounding Niagara, in particular Niagara Falls, have forced residents to stay for up to three months at our shelters while seeking other long-term suitable accommodations.

We wish to meet the growing needs of the community in an atmosphere that is conducive to healthy healing and personal growth with dignity and respect. To that end, the Board of Directors of Women’s Place of South Niagara Inc. has approved the acquisition of new land and the construction of a new facility. The new facility will be approximately a 14,000 square-foot shelter, located in the City of Niagara Falls near public transit, schools, shopping, and other recreational and resource facilities.

Here’s a look at our plans for the new shelter

Additional beds to provide shelter for 20 women and their children at any given time;
Installation of an elevator and wheelchair accessible rooms to accommodate people with mobility challenges and the elderly. Currently the facility in Niagara Falls is incapable of providing imperative shelter to women with mobility challenges, and those with wheelchairs or walkers;
Enhanced security which is vital to the operation of a safe setting for our victims. The current facility was built as a single family dwelling approximately 65 years ago, therefore security measures are limited. The new facility will be self-contained, security monitored, and accessible 24 hours a day. The facility will have a telecom system, video surveillance, automatic locking doors, and the separation of in-house and out-reach programs which will provide maximum security to women and their children.

Opportunities

New Facility
Total construction costs associated with the expansion are approximately $3.4 million. Both Provincial and Federal governments have been approached to provide combined capital funding of $2.2M. Women’s Place of South Niagara Inc. must raise the balance of $1.2 million, through private dollars from the local community in the form of a public capital campaign.