Women have a right to be safe in their own homes, but sometimes, the only safe place is somewhere else.
St. Thomas-Elgin Second Stage Housing provides transitional supports and housing to women, with or without children, who are leaving an abusive relationship
![]() For too many women and children, abuse is part of everyday life.
Second Stage Housing plays a significant role working with other community supports to stop the violence and to assist in creating a safe future for women and children in Elgin County. (Located in Ontario, Canada) Click the play button below to hear Linda's story. A Place to Stay
Women rent one of our one, two or three bedroom apartments and pay rent geared to their income. There are no costs for the programs offered by SSH. The apartment complex offers a safe, supportive environment for stays up to one year. The units are furnished and well-maintained. Our mandate is to assist in the elimination of violence against women by addressing the social and cultural issues that allow violence to continue. On average, 28 women and 45 children live in residence each year. The women are provided approximately 564 hours of individual counselling, 90 hours of group counselling in addition to life skills groups, parenting support, referrals and advocacy. The Children’s program also offers preschool groups, school-aged groups and recreational groups. |
How can you access Second Stage Housing?
![]() • Residential Programs: an individual apartment unit for a woman and her children
• Education: emotional support, group and individual counselling • Support: in getting financial, medical or legal assistance • Assistance: in setting and attaining personal goals • Programs for children: counselling, recreation, and school liaising • Transitional Programs: support with moving on to living independently in the community Our Committment: We will work with you to design supports specific to your unique needs, maintain confidentiality and advocate for you in the complex web of social institutions you may need to access. Your Committment: Participate in the programs and to live in a violence-free environment that supports the rights and needs of all participants. Who may access Second Stage Housing?A woman who has:
• Experienced physical, sexual, emotional, economical, verbal abuse or neglect in an intimate or dependent relationship • Identified a need for ongoing support and counselling for herself and her children Scan this code with your mobile device![]() This code contains our contact information.
Scan it with your mobile device to have it automatically added to it. |