A Calgary emergency shelter says it’s being forced to sadly turn people away because of an increase in demand for it’s services.

The YWCA Sheriff King Home has released statistics from 2002 to 2010.

In its figures, officials say they’ve noticed clients are staying longer and they’re bringing their children and a lack in affordable housing is compounding their problems.

Manager of Shelter Services Suzanne Shust said they’ll try to find other safe environments for women needing help.

But with 29,000 women looking to escape over a ten-year period that can be a challenge.

She said women are staying longer because they simply have nowhere else to go.

“Because of the high cost of living that there is here, it can be very, very challenging for somebody say, who is living on assistance and who has a limited income,” she said.

The stats aren’t in for this year yet but Shust believes the problem is getting worse.

“I mean this is a population that we’re working with, but we’re seeing it every day, our women are out there looking for housing and coming back and saying, there just isn’t anything,” she said.

By 2010, clients were staying an average of 17 days.