Atira Women's Resource Society is a not-for-profit organization committed to the work of ending violence against women through providing direct service, as well as working to increase awareness of and education around the scope and impact on our communities of men's violence against women and children.

Atira provides housing, advocacy and support to any woman who lives full time and identifies as a woman and meets our organizations mandate. We strive to make our services more accessible to Transgendered, Queer, Two-Spirit, and Intersexed women in need of our services through education and information. Atira recognizes the barriers and stigmatization faced by women who do not fit into society’s gender binary system and the violence, poverty and discrimination they encounter as a result.

• The Society was incorporated under the Society Act of British Columbia on March 10th, 1983 and registered with Revenue Canada as a charitable organization in 1984.
• In 1987, the Society opened its first transition house, Durrant House (formerly known as Atira House), in the South Surrey/White Rock community.
• The Society expanded its services in 1993 to include The Family Project, a support program for children who have witnessed and/or experienced abuse.
• In 1997, two new programs were added; Shimai House, a transition house for women also struggling with their use of substances, and the Koomseh Second-Stage Program, 11 units of longer-term transition housing for women who need/want additional support in their efforts to live independent of violence/abuse.
• In 2000, three new programs were added including a senior women's outreach program based in South Surrey/White Rock, Rediscover Parenting: A parenting program for women who have experienced violence/abuse, and the Aboriginal Women’s Outreach Program.
• In 2001 Atira was subcontracted by Bridge Housing Society for Women to provide programming and property management services at its emergency shelter and permanent, supported housing programs for women who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
• In 2002 Atira Women's Resource Society launched a for-profit social enterprise, ATIRA Property Management Inc. All profits generated by the property management company will be used to support the not-for-profit activities of the Atira Women’s Resource Society. The success of ATIRA Property Management Inc. will improve the long-term sustainability of the Society - For more information, please go to ATIRA Property Management Inc.
• In 2003 the Society took a lead role and hired staff to facilitate the development of the Maxxine Wright Place Project for high risk pregnant and early parenting women.
• Also in 2003 Atira launched Enterprising Women Making Art, a community economic development project for women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
• In January 2004, Atira opened the doors of Amá House, a specialized transition house for older women, 55+ years.
• The Society hired a Wraparound Coordinator in April 2004 who will work specifically with high risk pregnant and early parenting women in Surrey, White Rock, Langley and Delta.
• In 2004, Atira started a Legal Advocacy program in the Downtown Eastside. A lawyer is available to support women in the area needing legal assistance.
• The Society received funding for a Stopping the Violence Counsellor in April 2005.
• The Maxxine Community Health Centre was opened in September 2005. We are working in partnership with Fraser Health, the Ministry for Children and Family Development, and OPTIONS: Services to Community Society.
• Sereena's House for Women was opened November 27, 2006 in the Downtown Eastside.
• The Painter Sisters, an employment-based social enterprise initiative of Atira Women’s Resource Society, began providing training and employment opportunities for women who have barriers to employment in 2007.
• The Rice Block opened in 2008, providing housing for women who are contemplating substance abstinence. Based on a harm reduction model, Rice Block supports women to live clean and sober. They also have a community garden next door on land purchased by Atira in 2010.
• Kye7e Housing for Women opened in 2009 providing housing for 11 women 45+ who can live independently in the Downtown Eastside.
• The Holbrook Block in 2009 was opened as a program of Atira, providing housing for women in New Westminster. Closed December 2011.
• The Marr, which opened in 2009, provides housing for women 55+ in the Downtown Eastside.
• SisterSpace opened in the Sereena Housing for Women building in the early spring of 2011 to provide a safe overnight space for women on the streets.
• Maxxine Wright Place Project has opened in stages, and now provides a Community Health Centre, 12-bed Shelter, 24-unit second stage program and Early Care and Learning Centre. The last phase opened in 2011.
• Sorella Housing for Women opened April 2011, providing 108 units of long-term supportive housing for women, including 12 units for women with their young children.
• Ginseng Transition Housing for Women offers seven low barrier short-term (2-5 days) emergency shelter beds for women in the Downtown Eastside. (June 2011)
• Imouto Housing for Young Women has provided housing to up to 16 young women in the downtown eastside since September 2011.
• Burnaby Housing for Elder Women opened in April 2012 and provides 22 independent living units for women 55 and older.

Our Staff

Atira hires women who represent the diversity of people living in the Lower Mainland and more specifically, women who represent the women accessing our programs. Currently, 38 per cent of our staff is aboriginal or of aboriginal ancestry and 33 per cent women of colour. Both aboriginal and women of colour are represented on Atira’s management team. Atira believes that having a representative staff is the most import action an agency can take to make its services accessible. This commitment is solidified through hiring policy and practice. At present we have staff ranging in age from 19 to 67 years. Lesbian and immigrant women are also represented in all of our staffing groups.

More than 24 languages are spoken among our staff including, Arabic, ASL, Cantonese, Cree, English, Farsi, French, Greek, Hindi, Malay, Mandarin, Metcheif, Nisga’a, Norwegian, Ojibwa, Polish, Punjabi, Russian, Saulteaus, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tigrinya, and Urdu.