Hope Unlimited has announced a potential infusion of funds towards its efforts to build a new shelter. The organization has applied for a $1.584 million award from the Kansas Housing Resource Corporation through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
“It’s part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money and it’s very specific as to what it will do,” explained Hope Unlimited Executive Director Dorothy Sparks. “We fall in that catchment area very well because of the challenges we faced in our current shelter because of COVID.”
Since 1984, Hope Unlimited has provided 24-hour assistance to victims of violence and abuse in southeast Kansas. This assistance comes in the form of outreach services, a child exchange and parenting visitation center, a child advocacy center, and an emergency shelter.
The emergency shelter program of Hope Unlimited operates 24-hours per day, 365 days per year to provide a safe, compassionate setting for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. Support groups are provided as well as supportive counseling, safety planning, and related victim advocacy. The shelter serves Allen, Anderson, Neosho, and Woodson counties.
The organization currently utilizes a two-story house as its emergency shelter. It has limited space and does not easily accommodate families. The shelter can accommodate 18 people, if they share rooms.
The upstairs is inaccessible for those with mobility limitations. Safety and security updates are also an ever-increasing need, as well as repairs. “Its capacity can’t meet the increasing demand,” said Sparks.
As part of Hope Unlimited’s Capital Campaign, the organization plans to build a larger, more modern facility in Allen County which would offer double the current capacity and expand outreach services.
Sparks noted that COVID-19 social distancing regulations had caused logistical issues with the current shelter, resulting in people being housed in motels or being turned away completely. The new shelter will provide more space to allow private bedrooms and larger common spaces with opportunities to spread out. There will also be a full level that is 100% ADA accessible.
“The idea is everyone will have their own private room — kind of like how you would have at a hotel,” Sparks explained. “Everyone will have their own kitchenette and bathroom.”
PLANS for the shelter would include space for 32 beds. Tentatively, the shelter will be constructed in a U-shape with an outdoor courtyard featured in the center that is accessed from the private rooms. Sparks explained this allows for those at the shelter to get outdoor time while maintaining their privacy. “It gives them a protective environment to go outside,” she said.
The shelter will have an updated comprehensive security system, including cameras, fencing, and alarms. The location of the shelter will be confidential, but it will be in Allen County. Sparks explained that the secrecy of the location is to ensure the safety of those utilizing the services. The current shelter’s location is also confidential. “I think we’ve done a really good job, in a small rural area, keeping it confidential,” she added.
Part of the new movement in the past couple years, however, has been to be a little more public. The reason for this is two-fold, says Sparks. There is partially a sense that the community will keep it safe, as well as the availability of grants for security. “We can have security cameras and have all the things in place that older shelters did not have years ago,” she said. She added that the current shelter is constantly monitored by cameras and the new shelter would include even more security measures.
Other features of the new shelter include a children’s play area and space for school-aged children to attend and focus on virtual schooling.
According to Sparks, the HUD grant and other donations will bring the funding to 70% of the final $3 million cost for a new shelter. The shelter costs include an estimated $2.5 million for shelter construction and land acquisition; $300,000 for operational support (up to three years); and $200,000 for architect and miscellaneous fees and permits.
“The shelter is going to be larger than what we have, but it doesn’t mean we’re going to house triple the number of people,” explained Sparks. “It means we’re going to house better. Give people their privacy and if there should be another pandemic, people will have their own facilities.”
