If you have experienced gender-based violence (GBV) and use drugs, you may face extra barriers when trying to access shelter. GBV and drug use are interconnected. Women, trans, and gender-diverse people who experience violence are more likely to use drugs, and those who use drugs are more likely to face violence. Yet, many who use drugs are often barred from shelters.
Shelters can be particularly challenging spaces if you use drugs. Privacy is limited, rules are not always clear, and shelter policies and practices may be based on stigma towards drug use. People who use drugs face additional surveillance, restrictive rules, or unnecessary police involvement.
This pamphlet is designed to give you information about your rights when using, carrying, or storing drugs in shelter. It outlines what shelter staff, security, and police can and cannot do, and offers strategies to help you stay safe in a system that treats people who use drugs unfairly.