- The Refuge House, an area domestic violence shelter and resource hub, is offering a new supportive housing program.
- They will provide some neighbors with short-term rental assistance, utility help, and more.
- Watch the video to learn why the need is so great:
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The area domestic violence shelter is expanding its reach to help survivors get back on their feet.
Executive Director of the Refuge House Emily Mitchem said finding a safe place to live can be hard for survivors of domestic violence.
"It can be difficult with an abuser who withholds the money, takes the money, uses coercive tactics to influence how the money is," Mitchem said. "They often "save" the money for their victims that they owned through their own work."
She said she and her team with the Big Bend's only domestic violence shelters work to help as many as possible amid the rising cost of housing.
"There is not a lot of inventory for affordable housing so people are staying longer and therefore suffering more trauma," Mitchem said. "Here at Refuge House, our emergency shelter was built 25 years ago and we've only got 25 beds."
That's why the team at Refuge House is launching a supportive housing program.
It'll help survivors with rental assistance, past due utility bills, and more.
Florida State Director of the Institute for Trauma and Resilience Studies Professor Karen Oehme says the cost of moving out is one of the largest hurdles for survivors.
"Victims of domestic violence need to have often medical care, psychological care and counseling. They need housing. They need food. They need transportation," Oehme said. "The list of their needs is very long because they're basically starting over."
In our neighborhoods, Raven James with the Oasis Center for Women and Girls said she often hears about survivors struggling financially when leaving an abuser.
"I quite often get calls of that sort or I get moms coming to group or individual services saying 'Hey, this is a need for me, but I don't know how to navigate that or where to start or where to go,'" James said.
Mitchem said she hopes this will help give survivors the answers to those questions
"This funding can help them get on their feet," Mitchem said.
If you are in need of help from the Refuge House, call 850-681-2111. If you are in Madison or Taylor Counties, call 850-584-8808.
You can learn more about the Refuge House and how to help out on theirwebsite.
