YCC backers break ground on facility for domestic violence survivors
https://www.standard.net/news/local/...nce-survivors/
OGDEN — A new transitional housing complex is in the works, bolstering the YCC Family Crisis Center‘s offerings for domestic violence survivors.
The 14-unit complex to be built in the 400 block of 23rd Street in Ogden, adjacent to the existing YCC building, will be the only transitional housing facility in Weber or Morgan counties, according to Keicha Christiansen, the YCC development director. YCC reps and supporters, city and state leaders and others gathered Friday for a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction.
“This is a dream come true for so many,” said Jennifer Streker, president of the YCC board of directors.
As is, YCC works with some area landlords in finding housing for domestic violence survivors, but the options are limited. Accordingly, YCC Executive Director Margaret Rose painted the coming of the housing complex in dramatic terms.
“We’re not just breaking ground today, we’re breaking the cycle of violence,” she told the assembled crowd. “That’s a beautiful thing.”
Taeler Love, a YCC client, was also among the speakers Friday. Had such a facility been available when she was first seeking help, she said, she would have had more ready access to YCC support, aiding in her efforts to move beyond domestic violence.
“I would have been able to have the best of both worlds. I would have been able to have the shelter, the safe place and the self-reliance that I was building, on top of the support just on the other side of the door,” she said. “Going through domestic violence makes you feel alone and very isolated.”
Three buildings were torn down at the northwest corner of 23rd Street and Adams Avenue to make way for the transitional housing structure — a former YCC thrift store, a warehouse and an apartment building that had served low- and moderate-income tenants. Dirt is moving at the site and the new structure, costing some $6 million, is to be completed in a year or so, Christiansen said, when tenants will be able to start moving in.
Rose called the plans an “investment of the heart as much as an investment of money.” Some $2.5 million of the $6 million needed comes from the state with $1.83 million more coming from donors, including $500,000 from America First Credit Union and $250,000 from the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation. The City of Ogden also provided funds and YCC boosters are still seeking an additional $500,000 or so to cover the total price tag.
Rose said Weber County is “a close second” behind Salt Lake County in terms of reported domestic violence cases. Whats’ more, new state reporting requirements applicable to Utah law enforcement agencies handling domestic violence calls will likely bolster the number of cases referred to agencies like YCC, augmenting demand for transitional housing.
The existing YCC complex provides short-term “emergency” housing of up to 30 days for domestic violence survivors and their families while the new facility will provide housing for up to two years. The 14 units in the two-story, 14,700-square-foot building will be capable of holding up to 50 people in all.
“With the financial hardships most have experienced along with the physical and emotional abuse, it’s extremely difficult for people to launch a life on their own and make it work in this housing market. So we’re creating an option where people can get support, services and safety while they build a new life for themselves,” Rose said in a press release.
Domestic violence is a primary cause of homelessness for women and children in the country, according to YCC. The agency cited a Utah Women & Leadership Project study that found that 1 in 3 women in Utah will experience “some sort of sexual violence, physical violence and/or stalking” in their lifetime.
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