2025-2026 United Way WRC_Annual Report - Flipbook - Page 30
Hate, Gender-Based
& Family Violence
Everyone deserves to feel safe, respected, and free
from hate, violence, abuse, and discrimination.
Across Waterloo Region, individuals and families experience
violence and discrimination that can have lasting impacts on
mental health, housing stability, relationships, and wellbeing. Through a network of organizations working
together, people can access essential supports to find
safety, heal from harm, and build safer futures.
The Focus
Crisis supports and outreach
Education and prevention
Emergency and transitional
housing
Counselling and recovery
supports
The Issues
According to Statistics Canada,
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo had
the second-highest rate of policereported hate crimes among
Canadian census metropolitan
areas in 2024, at 22.2 incidents per
100,000 residents.
4,024
Individuals accessed services
and supports related to hate,
gender-based and family
violence supports.
$200,000
was invested into hate,
gender-based and family
violence supports.
According to the 2023 Youth Impact
Survey conducted through the Children
& Youth Planning Table, 48% of youth
reported experiencing discrimination,
up from 41% in 2021.
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