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In early 2005, a group of concerned Huntsville citizens approached the Muskoka Women’s Advocacy Group (MWAG) about building a women’s shelter in Huntsville. As the managing board of directors for Muskoka Interval House in Bracebridge, MWAG proved to be an invaluable resource. The impetus for the Huntsville proposal was a lack of services for abused women and their children in Huntsville and the surrounding area. Those needing shelter and other violence-against-women programs were not accessing the services available in Bracebridge due to the lack of workable public transportation between the two towns. This lack of transportation created a substantial barrier for many women employed in Huntsville or with children attending local area schools. Young mothers, single women with employment barriers, women recovering from addictions, women needing secure housing and other vulnerable women and children often have limited financial supports. Due to the constant pressure imposed by the lack of decent and affordable housing in Huntsville, it is often difficult for these women to progress. A consensus was reached that a Huntsville shelter should encompass both emergency shelter and support and offer rent-geared-to-income housing a combination of which makes sense from a security and human support perspective. Shelter staff working on a 24/7 basis would monitor security, be available for immediate assistance, and provide referrals to other community programs. As a satellite of Muskoka Interval House, these community programs could include: Child and Youth Counselling, Violence Prevention Outreach Education, Court Support and Transition Housing Support Services and various group supports through the Outreach Program. Offering 10 units of varying sizes (2 two bedroom, 4 one bedroom and 4 singles) in close proximity to common areas will provide easy access for service providers. Numerous local services such as Great Beginnings (a part of the Early Years System) could conduct their programs on site, leading to increased participation and other related benefits. There are many benefits in building a Huntsville shelter and transitional housing facility for the women and children in the greater Huntsville and southeastern Parry Sound area, such as community agencies benefitting from ease of access in service provision. The community will ultimately benefit by participating in the transformation of vulnerable women and their children to strong, healthy and independent families.