The 3rd World Conference of Women’s Shelters (3WCWS) was held in the Hague, the Netherlands on November 3-6, 2015. The conference was attended by 1,000 people from 115 countries. Speakers included Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, and Hollywood actress Ashley Judd. As well as high-profile speakers, the Conference was addressed by many survivors of domestic violence who told their stories in a powerful and impactful way.
It all started with an idea that Wayne Squibb, co-founder of Realstar Group shared with Michael Young, founder of Quadrant Capital Partners: Let’s create a pool of available apartments so that women and children can come out of Interval House and have secure housing in secure neighbourhoods.
In 2004, Interval House launched a groundbreaking partnership with private-sector landlords whereby housing units were offered to women survivors of intimate partner violence at rent-geared-to-income rates for up to two years.
Interval House thanks its founders:
Sam Kolias, CEO, Boardwalk Reit
Jon Love, CEO, KingSett Capital
Wayne Squibb, President & CEO, Realstar Group
Michael Young, CEO, Quadrant Capital Partners
as well as its participants, past and present
Watch the video to learn more about Her Home Housing Project.
As the early 1990s ushered in an era of fiscal cutbacks and the non-profit and social service sectors braced for the worst, Interval House’s Collective and Board decided the organization had to evolve if it was going to continue to thrive. Alternate funding sources needed to be tapped. The internal organization needed to be strengthened. New partnerships needed to be forged. Interval House had to evolve from delivering crisis intervention to providing a continuum of services designed to lead women on a solid path to independence.
As Interval House sought to broaden its scope, it became clear that it needed a new home so as to meet under one roof all the needs of the families it serves.
So the little shelter that grew dared to dream and dream big. In the year marking its 30th anniversary, Interval House launched a major capital campaign to raise funds for a new larger shelter.
Interval House launched its Building Economic Self-Sufficiency (BESS) program in 1998. It was the only employment program that addressed the unique barriers that abused women face when seeking employment.
Learn more about Interval House’s Building Economic Self-Sufficiency (BESS) program:
Witnessing abuse can lead a child to develop dangerous ideas about violence, including the belief that violence is an acceptable response and that there must be an aggressor and a victim in every relationship. To help model positive and respectful interactions, Interval House adds its first male counsellor to the Children’s Program in 1987.
Focused on breaking the cycle of abuse through intervention and support, in 1980, Interval House creates a Children’s Program in the shelter. To replace unhealthy perspectives with more constructive ones, Interval House counsellors first work to build trust with the children individually and in a group setting.