A special thank you to the Government of Canada and Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) for funding this important grant.

Historically Cornerstone has taken a formal approach harm reduction for women needing shelter, in addition, most of Ottawa’s women’s shelters have had to turn away more than 70% of women in need of shelter to due lack of available space.

In 2017, the opioid epidemic hit our streets in Ottawa. “Since the pandemic, the opioid epidemic has intensified throughout our shelter walls” says Sarah Davis, executive director Cornerstone Housing for Women. Cornerstone’s emergency shelter numbers more than doubled over the last 19 months, and the number of overdoses the staff reversed skyrocketed to 1 per day, from not having to do more than 1 a month. Davis says, “Women’s lives are at stake, this funding allows us to support our staff with providing women struggling with trauma and substance use issues with life-saving harm reduction programming and policies. It’s a pivotal moment in Cornerstone’s history.”