New transitional home helps Montreal women leaving violent partners get back on their feet

It's been a decade since Siham Benribague left her violent household with her two-month-old son, but she'll never forget the toll the abusive relationship took on her.

"You want to do something, but you're not connected to yourself anymore," she said. "You're just like a body without a life or a soul." 

Benribague wanted better for herself and her son, so she fled the violence and took refuge in a women's shelter and, finally, moved into a second-stage home — a non-emergency transition house for people who have left violent domestic environments.

She stayed there for two years and credits the home with giving her the tools she needed to move forward in life. 

"I need help, I need an apartment, I need someone to help me to find a lawyer, to come with me to the court sometimes because my family was in another country and I had a baby," she said. 

"In these kinds of houses, we can find support and we can rebuild our lives and rebuild our confidence … and get back to normal life."

Benribague, who became a painter after discovering her passion for the art form while in the home, now sits on the administrative board at Nouvelle-Étape, a non-profit that officially unveiled its second transitional home on Wednesday for women leaving violent partners. 

Maison Gaëlle Fedida is a second-stage shelter with nine units in Montreal. It's named after a fierce advocate in the fight against domestic violence in Quebec, who was killed in a cycling accident in Montreal in July. 

The building houses three studio apartments as well as six larger places, with more bedrooms for women with kids. 

Tenants, some of whom have already moved in, will be allowed to stay for up to two years. 

The group managing the project says that time is crucial when it comes to saving lives.

Florence Gagné, a spokesperson for Nouvelle-Étape, says studies show a woman is most at risk of violence at the hands of her partner in the first two years after leaving a situation of domestic abuse. 

"We actually work a lot toward homicide prevention," she said. "By offering them housing, we offer them a safe place and it's confidential."

The shelter offers a host of specialized services, including those to help immigrant women apply for work permits, visas and refugee status. Social workers are also on hand to help tenants through specific situations, such as applying for a job or communicating with youth protection services. 

The home also provides specialized services and activities for children, many of whom have developmental delays. 

"It's not like a 24-hour shelter, they're autonomous," Gagné said. "The goal for us is to [help] those families to get back on their feet and really achieve independence." 

Alliance MH2,  a network of second-stage shelters in the province, says there still aren't enough spaces to meet demand across the province.

Maud Pontel, general co-ordinator at Alliance MH2, says 75 per cent of women who apply for second-stage housing in Montreal are refused due to lack of space. In Quebec City, that number is about 56 per cent, she said. 

"The main criteria for a woman to be sheltered in a second-stage home is the evaluation of [how dangerous] her ex partner [is]," Pontel said. 

"So if there is a high risk of harm, threats, et cetera, the woman will be accepted." 

The network is currently working on about 30 projects, either renovations or new constructions, to meet demand. Funding is provided by all three levels of government. 

Alliance MH2 is hoping to triple the number of spaces for women and kids in second-stage housing by 2026. 

Meanwhile, at Maison Gaëlle Fedida, Benribague's paintings adorn the walls of some of the apartments as a reminder to new tenants that they too can make it out stronger. 

"I really want to have this piece of art in front of these women to tell them that it's possible and to be in this house is already a big step. It's a very brave step," she said.