What is Hiatus House?
Since its founding in 1976, Hiatus House has been committed to breaking the cycle of domestic violence throughout Windsor-Essex county. We provide crisis telephone support and emergency shelter for women and their families in Windsor and area who are fleeing violence and abuse. We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week providing help and hope for families faced with domestic violence. We also provide education and skills training to women, men and children through counselling and group services. Learn more about our program on the Programs and Services page. Our team is committed to helping women, children and men live violence-free lives. Hiatus House is funded in large part by the government of Ontario, and through grants and donations from individuals and organizationsAt Hiatus House, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible environment for all individuals. We strive to provide programs, services, information, and facilities that are accessible and responsive to the needs of people with disabilities.
On this page, you can click to:
View or download our Accessibility Policy.
View or download our Multi-Year Accessibility Plan.
Access a combined Accessibility Policy and Multi-Year Accessibility Plan document.
Submit accessibility feedback, comments, or suggestions.
Request information in an accessible format or with communication supports.
We welcome feedback about the accessibility of our programs, services, website, and facilities. Your feedback helps us identify barriers, improve accessibility, and better serve our community.
If you require an accessible format, communication support, or additional assistance, please contact us. We will work with you to meet your accessibility needs in a timely manner and at no additional cost.
*View our 2023 Accessibility Compliance Report
*please note that the above document is a PDF. You may need to download it to view. Requests for a .word or an alternative version can be made above.
Vision & Mission
Our Vision: An end to violence against women and their families in Windsor-Essex. Our Mission: To provide safe environments for women and their families to heal and strengthen, in support of them living empowered lives free of abuse.Values
In pursuit of our Mission: Inclusion Integrity Compassion People Centeredness AccountabilityHow We Help
Maintain A Safe Place
We maintain a safe place to heal by providing emergency shelter in a safe and secure building for women and their families who are experiencing abuse, violence, and/or exploitation. Hiatus House is dedicated to ending violence against women and their families. We recognize that this violence is happening in our community and that the consequences impact family, friends, community, and society at large. We provide emergency shelter for women and their families, school-based intervention programming, and group counselling for women, abusive males, and children to help them strengthen and heal from the impacts of violence. We also offer public education, we partner within the community to support initiatives that will help in our vision of an end to violence for women and their families in Windsor-Essex.Support For Women & their families
Our team of caring workers provide safe and respectful counselling and supportive services. We provide:- Counselling to children and youth who have witnessed violence at home
- Help to women to increase their knowledge, skills, and confidence
- Guidance for the development of a personal safety plan
- Continuous advocation on behalf of abused women and their families
Our History
Driven by a firm commitment and dedicated staff, Hiatus House has kept a keen focus on ending violence in families in Windsor – Essex. The evolution of services has been to develop ongoing care for recognized needs that expands to extended capacity and specialized programming for complex needs.1976-79
Hiatus House first opened a nine-bed shelter on California Avenue. The Executive Director was the only paid staff, others were volunteers. In 1979 it expanded to 24 beds.1980s
First Counselling Contract with the City of Windsor Social Services was funded, then Child & Youth Program, and a Group Therapy Program for Abusive Men were added. At the end of the 1980s, construction of 250 Louis Avenue’s 42-bed facility was completed and all programs moved to this location. Accessible Housing Services also began at that time; this was a partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association (Windsor/Essex County Branch), Drouillard Place, and Legal Assistance of Windsor.1990s
The growth of Hiatus House saw the development of a management team and the addition of funds for shelter support counselling and school based services. Partnerships continued to grow and we established the Domestic Violence Emergency Response System (DVERS) – originally the Abused Women’s Active Response Emergency program, as well as a pet placement service with the Essex County Humane Society for women in the shelter. Toward the end of the 1990s the “Just for Kids Creative Play Centre” playground opened at Hiatus House.2000s
We began offering the Partner Assault Response Program, the Transitional & Housing Support Program and the Child Witness Program. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation injects much needed funding over eight years for security/safety enhancements, and various building and shelter renovations/upgrades. We moved from paper to electronic data collection through the implementation of Client Track software – a huge step forward for data reporting and statistics. The end of the 2000s saw the beginning of the Violence Against Women Co-ordinating Committee and the Neighbour, Friends and Family initiative due to support from the Ministry of Community and Social Services.2010s
We saw a building renovation to open an entrance at Chatham Street for our Fresh Start Program. The Ministry of the Attorney General approves funding for the Family Court Support Worker Program. We acquired the 245 Louis Avenue property for future development, and received a grant to replace the roof on the shelter. In 2014, the Domestic Violence Emergency Response System (DVERS) Alarm was unveiled by Windsor Police Services. In 2016, we piloted a two year program in partnership with the city to help survivors of domestic violence access safe and affordable housing.2020s and Beyond
We began the decade by reflecting on the successes and growth of Hiatus House. In 2024, we received funding to expand to a 44-bed shelter and have continued to strengthen and enhance our programs and services to better support women and children in our community.
During this time, several new initiatives were introduced, including the Hub Without Walls (HWOW) program and Coaching Boys Into Men. Work has also continued on our planned transitional housing project, with funding efforts underway as we move closer to making this vision a reality.
In 2026, Hiatus House proudly celebrates 50 years of service to the Windsor-Essex community. As we mark this important milestone, we look forward to building on our legacy and continuing to grow and evolve to meet the needs of those we serve.Board of Directors
Chair: Paul Whited
Past Chair: Cathy Morrison
Vice-Chair: Lindsay Thiessen
Treasurer: Lisa Lambkin
Secretary: Andrea Bagnarol
Directors: Manny Cardoso, Karen Stopford, Shirley Egan, Debra McVeety, and Rubina Boucher.
Annual Report
