MACDONALD: FUNDING SHORTFALL AT WOMENS TRANSITION HOUSES MUST BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY
Date: Wednesday August 19, 2009

(Halifax, NS) Liberal MLA Manning MacDonald is calling on the NDP government to address the budget challenges facing Bryony House. The transition house for abused women and their children will be forced to end its outreach program next Tuesday if additional funding is not secured.

“Transition houses need ongoing support if they are going to continue to provide these invaluable programs,” said MacDonald, “Communities across the province are dependent on programs like this one and government must ensure they have the means to continue.”

The program extended counseling and court support to women not living at the shelter. The forced decision has already caused one outreach worker to be laid off and two others to have their hours reduced. During the last provincial election, the NDP committed to funding for women’s transition houses for one year of a four year mandate.

“You can’t pick and choose when you’re going to help these organizations,” said MacDonald. “The NDP proposal to provide funding for one year shows it does not have a plan in place to address the shortfalls these organizations have faced for years under the previous Conservative government.”

MacDonald said his Liberal Party supports multi-year government funding for non-profit organizations such as Bryony House to enable them to plan years in advance and prevent program cuts like this one.


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