Women's shelter not safe for clients, director says

Osborne House, a shelter in Winnipeg, is not fit to house the women and children who go there to escape abuse, the executive director says.

Bedbugs, black mould and crumbling infrastructure are making the crowded building unsafe, Barbara Judt said.

"The building hasn't been maintained," she said. Manitoba Housing doesn't provide enough money for repairs, but has also told the shelter it can't be moved. 

There is mould in the kitchen, which recently failed a safety inspection.  

But the Manitoba government said it's on top of problems at the shelter. The mould has been fixed and a number of plumbing repairs have been made, a government spokesman said.

Judt said there are other problems. "We have huge storage issues and it's not like we have a lot of stuff here.  But we don't even have the day-to-day items.  We don't have a lot of room for them." Many people's belongings have to be stored in the hallways, which poses a safety hazard.

The provincial spokesman said officials from Manitoba Housing are scheduled to meet Osborne House staff next week to look additional repairs.

Osborne House helped 3,000 women and children in 2009,  either over the phone or in person.

It provides shelter, counselling and even schooling for families in crisis.