Second-stage housing opens in Abbotsford

VICTORIA — The Cheryl Smith Residence, a three-storey second-stage housing unit for women and their children, has opened in Abbotsford.

The project was completed with $9.2 million in funding from the Government of British Columbia.

B.C. is also providing an annual operating subsidy of $240,000, according to a news release.

The Cheryl Smith Residence will have 12 two-bedroom homes and a programming space.

The project was a redevelopment of an older building. Renovations included adding a security system and common space upgrades, sprinklers, replacing the roof and structural repairs.

“At the end of 2022, in our other second-stage housing in Abbotsford, we had a waitlist of 186 women waiting on safe homes. Cheryl Smith Residence will make a small dent in that, but it is a mighty one,” said Michelle Puffer, executive director of SARA for Women, in the release.

“It means that 12 women and their children will find a safe haven and time to start working on a new future, empowering them to live a life free from violence.”