Yellowknife's transitional home for women opens with new name

Yellowknife's new transitional home for women and children has been renamed the Lynn Brooks' Safe Place for Women.

Lynn Brooks arrived in Yellowknife in the late 1960s with her daughter after fleeing an abusive relationship. She went on to work for the YWCA and was instrumental in opening Yellowknife's first women's shelter.

Brooks spoke at the opening of the home Friday afternoon where she told people about her life.

"I grew up in a dysfunctional, oppressive and sporadic violent home. I married an abuser," Brooks said. "To make a long story short, I ran away to Yellowknife with my daughter just a toddler to find a new start.

"I was determined that she would not grow up in the soul-destroying atmosphere of violence. I was extremely fortunate to find a group of strong women who were determined to provide shelter to the many battered women living lives of misery and desperation."
 
Lynn Brooks' Safe Place for Women — or Lynn's Place for short — is owned and run by the YWCA. It has 18  fully furnished units for women and their children looking for stable and safe housing after leaving emergency shelters.  

Residents moving in soon

The YWCA says it hopes to have women moved into the apartments by the middle of next month. The home will offer women a variety of programs, including financial, literacy, parenting and life-skills training.

A two-bedroom apartment at Lynn's Place will cost almost $1,600 a month. A three-bedroom apartment will cost $1,750 a month.

"We're in-between rent based on income and market," said Lyda Fuller, executive director of the YWCA.

"We're not as high as market. So if you're a woman and making $50,000 a year, it's going to be hard. We work with people. We don't say if you don't pay the rent on the first you're out, that's nuts. We work with people."

Fuller says the YWCA has already received applications from women looking for an apartment. They'll review the applications next week.