The head of a London agency that provides support and shelter for victims of sexual violence says an increased demand for services is putting pressure on staff dealing with increasingly complex situations.

Jessie Rodger is the executive director of Anova, which operates two 24-hour emergency shelters: one on Wellington Road South, one on Clarke Road.

Rodger said more clients are coming to the door in need of help, a situation that is taking resources away from helping clients who are already in the shelter.

"The door keeps getting busier and busier and more people are coming to the door," she said. "Our resources are getting stretched and we need to make sure we're serving everybody as well as we can."

As a result, one staff position at the Counselling and Support Centre operating out of the Wellington Road shelter will no longer be dedicated to client intake at the door. In a news release, Anova says clients who come to the door will not be ignored, but may be referred to other service agencies or have to return at another time.

In 2017 Anova had 800 walk-in clients come to its shelters. By the end of September of this year, that number was already at 600. Meanwhile call volume at their support line remains high.

Also, Rodger said the needs of clients are becoming more complex and the shelter stays are getting longer in London's increasingly tight rental market.

"There is a real crisis in our community for folks who've experienced violence," she said.

Rodger said Anova has received generous support so far this holiday season, but she hopes speaking publicly about the organizations staffing pressures will trigger a conversation about funding support.

"We're struggling, our community is struggling," she said. "And we need to have a conversation about the quality of support that we're giving is the highest that we can."