Three London New Democrat MPPs are calling the Ontario government's silence over a funding shortfall at a local women's shelter "completely unacceptable."
In an open letter, Teresa Armstrong, Terence Kernaghan, and Peggy Sattler outline their concerns over the lack of funding for Anova, a London-based agency that provides shelter, support, counselling, and resources for abused women and their children. The letter, which is addressed to Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Lisa MacLeod and Attorney General Caroline Mulroney, comes a week after Anova announced it would have to cut a full-time frontline position effective December 21 due to budget constraints.
"The loss of the Counselling and Support Centre position is creating a real threat to the safety of women and children in our community, at a time of increasing need," the trio stated in the letter. "Despite the critical services that Anova provides in our community, there has been no communication from the Ministry of the Attorney General and confusion about what funds, if any, will flow from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services."
The three MPPs call it "troubling" that the ministries have not provided a response to Anova's announcement.
"Your silence is completely unacceptable, and is putting the lives of women and children at risk," they said in the letter. "As MPPs for the London area, we call upon you to ensure the immediate allocation of funding for Anova’s Counselling and Support Centre frontline position. More importantly, we urge you to commit to the ongoing, stable funding necessary for Anova to meet the needs of growing numbers of Londoners dealing with the physical and emotional trauma of gender-based violence."
Anova is funded through the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, the Ministry of the Attorney General, the United Way, and donations from the general public.
The agency was formed through a merger of Women’s Community House and Sexual Assault Centre London in 2016. The individual in the position slated to be cut interacted with 800 women who were trying to escape violence last year and 600 over the first 10 months of 2018.
According to figures provided by the NDP, Anova housed 483 women and children at its two emergency shelters, and referred another 117 women and children to safety elsewhere in 2017-2018. Agency counsellors responded to more than 10,000 calls for service through Anova’s 24-hour helpline and supported more than 640 survivors of sexual assault.
In a statement to Blackburn News, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services said the government is committed to combating violence against women and to improving services for survivors.
"An investment of $11.5 million this year has increased the base funding for more than 400 service partners, including a $138,000 increase to the Anova women’s shelter, so those on the front-line can continue providing vital residential, counselling, and children’s programs," said Ministry spokesperson Daniel Schultz. "We will continue to support local service providers with the appropriate resources so women and girls can live free from violence across the province."