Nonpro t
BY MELISSA ENAJE
Houston Area Women’s Center expands facility to house more than 130 survivors
Nearly one year after the o cial groundbreak- ing ceremony was held in May, o cials with the Houston Area Women’s Center opened the doors to its new housing facility, One Safe Place Houston. The facility is part of a 5.5-acre campus that o ers wraparound client-centered services for survivors and their families eeing domestic violence, assault and human tra cking. The impact During a March 25 news conference, President Emilee Whitehurst spoke on behalf of families and survivors who will seek safety and services provided at the facility. “One Safe Place Houston is where we’re going to showcase what the future looks like and how we can get there together, not in the abstract, but concretely,” Whitehurst said. “Every day for every person who crosses the threshold of One Safe Place Houston—survivors, strategic part- ners, volunteers—we hope you will see and feel healing in the wake of harm.” Features within the four-story facility include: • 135 housing apartments for survivors and their children • A 24-hour crisis response and assessment center • A survivor economic empowerment hub to equip families with nancial skills and resources • Counseling and mental health services for adults and children
EL CAMINO ST.
The new four-story, 5.5-acre campus will o er wraparound client-centered services for women and children. PHOTOS COURTESY HOUSTON AREA WOMEN’S CENTER
288
610
N
• A lactation room • Teen rooms • Childcare and daycare services • Classrooms for a Houston ISD elementary school program Digging deeper Elected o cials and stakeholders from across the county were in attendance for the ribbon-cut- ting ceremony and facility tour. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo spoke about the county’s involvement tackling domestic violence. “Since 2020, we’ve invested around $23 million in addressing domestic violence throughout the region,” Hidalgo said. “That’s not just the Houston Area Women’s Center, but various organizations. Since 2022, [investments] have been made around speeding up the court backlog on domestic violence issues, helping build infrastructure, childcare and mental health support for kids and families impacted by domestic violence. We have an ongoing commitment of $1.5 million of exible nancial support to survivors of domestic violence.”
The Houston Area Women’s Center Expansion will include child and daycare services.
The Houston Area Women’s Center helps thousands of women and children impacted by domestic and sexual violence. HAWC’s crisis response in 2024 56,501 calls
1,922 legal advocacy clients served
answered on HAWC’s sexual assault hotline
974 survivors housed at the residential campus
2,112 community members educated on violence prevention
SOURCE: HOUSTON AREA WOMEN’S CENTER COMMUNITY IMPACT
DAY CAMPS & CLASSES
Learn more!
SENIOR PROGRAMS & TRIPS
SPECIAL EVENTS & MORE
www.westutx.gov/parks
9
BELLAIRE MEYERLAND WEST UNIVERSITY EDITION
Powered by FlippingBook