In The News Today

House For Battered Women, La Maison à Damas, Closes Its Doors

This comes from the Sounds of the Sea of CFIM

Because of the lack of funds the women’s protection home shall close its doors on February 18th, 2008 for a period of one week. This closure is written up in the pressure movement taken by the groups of community organizations and alternatives in the area of mental health in the Gaspésia and Islands regions, which are working to get the Quebec government to raise its funding for their established members.

This is not the first time that the Maison à Damas had to close it’s doors. Since it opened 20 year ago, the lodging home for battered women or women who were going through difficult periods has periodically closed it doors due to lack of funds. According to the director, Collette Langford, it takes many hundreds of tohousands of dollars more than the Maison à Damas receives in order to offer adequate services and continue working.

The actual finances of the Maison à Damas is $192,000. The missing amount that must be made up is $1.2 million for the regions. Presently, only 68% of the 2.3 million dollars is available to the regional health sector are given to the homes for battered women. Collette Langford explained that a comparable mission, is requesting a financing of $500,000.

Collette Langford precisely said that during the closure week, the clientel already living at the shelter will continue to stay at the Maison à Damas. Depending on need, all the new requests will be directed to the Islands CLSC des Iles.


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