Safe Suite
This Program provides temporary housing for individuals 55+, regardless of gender, who are in need of a safe place to stay due to abuse or neglect. Clients are provided with furnished accommodations for up to 60 days at no cost. Registered Social Workers provide counselling services and practical assistance in accessing housing, financial and legal services.
What is the Safe Suite program?
The Safe Suite Program provides temporary housing for men, women and couples, 55 years or older who are in need of a safe place to stay due to abuse or neglect and whose needs cannot be effectively met by existing abuse/crisis services. Abuse may be physical, emotional/psychological, sexual, financial or neglect.
What services does Safe Suite provide?
- Social Workers provide counselling services
- Furnished accommodations for up to 60 days
- Victoria Lifeline support
- Practical assistance with arranging finances, housing, legal and support services
What is the cost?
A & O: Support Service for Older Adults is able to provide this service at no cost to older adults through partnerships with the Manitoba Seniors and Healthy Aging Secretariat, the Winnipeg Police Service, Victoria Lifeline and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.
Who is eligible?
- 55 years of age or older
- Women and men
- Older adults who have experienced abuse or are at imminent risk of abuse
I don’t know what I would have done without the safe suite to be honest. I would probably still be in my abusive situation.
Things could have been a lot worse for me without the safe suite program. I feel safer. It helped me to deal with a lot of different issues.
Being in the safe suite gave me time to realize just how abused I was. I appreciate that you let me have my cat. I wouldn’t have left without him.
Two other organizations in Kamloops and north Vancouver have opened 'safe suites' modeled on your program. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, as they say. Your work is clearly impacting the lives of seniors across Canada. - Trina Bagnall, project coordinator, Building on promising practices for housing senior women experiencing abuse
If you are concerned that an older adult may be experiencing abuse or neglect and have questions, please call:
A & O: Support Services for Older Adults Intake Line
In Winnipeg: 204-956-6440
Toll-free: 1-888-333-3121
Fax: 204-946-5667
E-mail: [email protected]