Women in need have to hang on in Richmond.
The Richmond Women’s Resource Centre will need to wait until next year for additional funding after a close vote at Richmond City Council kiboshed an immediate injection of funds to potentially keep it open through the summer.
“If they don’t get help, they will probably have to close in another four to six weeks,” in addition to their planned summer closure, said Coun. Chak Au, who was joined by councillors Carol Day, Harold Steves and Alexa Loo in a failed bid to supplement the centre’s funding.
The centre lost federal — as well as some provincial — funding several years ago and reported to council that it is bleeding money, so much so that it was forced to close last summer and limit hours of operations at other times.
“I don’t buy the idea that it’s not our jurisdiction,” said Au.
“The fact and reality is that the governments at higher levels are not going to do anything. We should do something, especially if we have the means to do it,” he said.
The centre assists women in need of outreach support of all kinds.
Loo said the centre has been working to reform its program, as well as finding alternative methods of funding.
The City of Richmond is expected to increase grants from casino revenues by about 70 per cent next year.
