By Canadian Press

‘They’re sitting ducks:’ More women with disabilities unhoused due to abuse, violence

Dec 4, 2024 | 12:22 PM

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — New data show women with disabilities are more likely to be forced into homelessness because of violence or abuse.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission and the federal housing advocate unveiled the findings in a joint statement Tuesday, saying 63 per cent of women with disabilities who experienced homelessness said it was because of violence.

By comparison, 54 per cent of women without disabilities said they experienced homelessness because of abuse.

Vicky Levack, a spokesperson for the Disability Rights Coalition of Nova Scotia, says the findings are not surprising to her, nor would they be to other people with disabilities.

Levack says women with disabilities face a higher risk of abuse or violence, often at the hands of their caregivers, their romantic partners or both.

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She says few women’s shelters are accessible or can provide care for people with disabilities, so women in abusive situations often find themselves without the housing and social supports available to those without disabilities.

“Even if I could get into the (shelter), which I can’t anyway, but even if I could, there’s no one to take care of me,” Levack said in an interview. “If I had to flee, there’s nowhere to go.”

“They’re sitting ducks,” she added.

The report released Tuesday also says people with disabilities are more likely to miss a rent or mortgage payment because of financial issues than people without disabilities. They are also more likely to be living in accommodations with health-threatening problems, such as mould or pest infestations.

Those problems were worse for Indigenous people with disabilities, compared with non-Indigenous people with disabilities.

The findings add to a growing body of evidence showing that people with disabilities are being denied their basic human right to housing, the release said.

“Housing for people with disabilities should uphold their fundamental rights — including access to housing that is affordable, safe and accessible, alongside the supports they need to live independently and feel like part of their communities,” it said.

“The data and the lived experiences of people with disabilities, however, show that this is not the reality. It is clear that Canada must do more.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2024.

The Canadian Press