Iowa City domestic violence nonprofit announces plans for new emergency shelter

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – A nonprofit that provides a protected area to victims of home violence is getting an improve. Home Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) is increasing its emergency shelter.

Alta Medea, Director of Neighborhood Engagement at DVIP, mentioned the present shelter was in-built 1993 and is at capability one year a yr. The brand new facility will double the present shelter’s capability to 70 beds.

“We’ve had a 38% enhance of purchasers looking for companies since 2017 and helped over 2,000 people within the final yr alone,” mentioned Medea. “So assembly that rising want by having more room is completely very important.”

The brand new shelter gained’t simply be a much bigger model of the outdated one; it is going to have a distinct design altogether.

“Every of our new rooms within the new shelter will probably be extra of a personal suite,” mentioned Medea. “One of many issues we realized through the pandemic is that to be actually trauma-informed, we would have liked to permit households and people area to course of their trauma collectively.” She added the present shelter doesn’t permit for a lot privateness and the brand new design was about “increasing simply high quality and dignity.”

Medea mentioned DVIP expects to interrupt floor on the brand new shelter in Might 2023, and it’s anticipated to open summer season or fall 2024.

She added the finances for the brand new shelter is about $6 million, and that 70% of that has already been raised. She added anybody fascinated about donating may log on or name 319-930-2030.

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