A Saskatoon shelter for woman dealing with child sexual abuse has closed its doors early. Tamara's House planned on staying open until Friday, but instead were closed down Thursday.
Questions abound about the shelter shutting down early, which forced the last few residents to leave with only 36 hours' notice. The three current residents were offered financial assistance to find other accommodations.
Cheryl Carver, Chair of the Board of Tamara's House, hasn't heard any negative feedback from residents yet. "We didn't hear any concerns about the fact we closed early. People arranged for pick-ups, and that's really all we know about those who have been affected."
One reason the shelter closed was because of a significant cut in federal funding. Local MP Brad Trost said the situation had unique issues, but could not elaborate. "We have been working on the case, but with the election, we haven't been able to get full information."
However, two different assessments revealed other problems, such as a high turnover in staff and volunteers. In addition the facility rarely operated at full capacity.
"While it's a difficult decision, we feel it's the right decision to make. And I'm sure those funds can be better used to facilitate programming in the community elsewhere," says Carver.
Meanwhile, the Tamara's House Board says they are committed to transferring as many programs and assets as possible to other facilities that help victims of abuse.
