ysabetwordsmith (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2021-09-18 12:17 am
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2021-09-18 12:17 am
Entry tags:
Community Building Tip: Shelters
For my current set of tips, I'm using the list "101 Small Ways You Can Improve Your City.
89. Help build a better shelter. Sometimes, the best ways to help build your community is to help others who are feeling apart and alone. The Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, along with architect Corrie Rosen, created a series of guidelines, called Building Dignity, to help construct more comforting and effective shelters for victims of domestic violence. The plans include soliciting donations from the community, such as asking interior decorators to "adopt" a room, and asking a local steel artist to create artful window displays that projected both strength, security, and beauty.
Consider also ...
* Ask victims and former victims what they would find helpful, then provide that.
* Include pets. Many people will not leave unless they can take family pets with them, because abusers often threaten or kill animals. Waiting gets people killed. So including pets will save both human and animal lives.
* Provide space for families of different sizes and configurations. A whole family can be victims of abuse, especially if subject to someone's parents or another abusive landlord.
* Include a car, or better yet, a motor pool of several vehicles including an accessible one. People need to travel for appointments, court, work, school, shopping, etc. Often the abuser owns the car so the victim flees with no transportation.
* Make sure your community has shelters for all genders, ages, ability levels, etc. Most only have services for women.
* Develop many small, discreet shelters scattered through the community rather than one big one. Refurbish empty homes or former business shells. Advantages include:
-- Neighbors are less likely to object if the shelter doesn't look like a shelter and has only a few beds. The impact on the neighborhood is much less. Point out that a full building is better than an empty one for neighborhood appearances and real estate values.
-- A house has bedrooms with doors that can be made to lock. This is greatly preferable over dormitories with no defensible space.
-- Smaller buildings are cheaper and easier to buy than larger ones.
-- People tend to feel safer in small groups than large ones, especially strangers.
-- With multiple locations, people don't have to move as far from their former home. This makes it easier to maintain employment, schooling, etc.
89. Help build a better shelter. Sometimes, the best ways to help build your community is to help others who are feeling apart and alone. The Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, along with architect Corrie Rosen, created a series of guidelines, called Building Dignity, to help construct more comforting and effective shelters for victims of domestic violence. The plans include soliciting donations from the community, such as asking interior decorators to "adopt" a room, and asking a local steel artist to create artful window displays that projected both strength, security, and beauty.
Consider also ...
* Ask victims and former victims what they would find helpful, then provide that.
* Include pets. Many people will not leave unless they can take family pets with them, because abusers often threaten or kill animals. Waiting gets people killed. So including pets will save both human and animal lives.
* Provide space for families of different sizes and configurations. A whole family can be victims of abuse, especially if subject to someone's parents or another abusive landlord.
* Include a car, or better yet, a motor pool of several vehicles including an accessible one. People need to travel for appointments, court, work, school, shopping, etc. Often the abuser owns the car so the victim flees with no transportation.
* Make sure your community has shelters for all genders, ages, ability levels, etc. Most only have services for women.
* Develop many small, discreet shelters scattered through the community rather than one big one. Refurbish empty homes or former business shells. Advantages include:
-- Neighbors are less likely to object if the shelter doesn't look like a shelter and has only a few beds. The impact on the neighborhood is much less. Point out that a full building is better than an empty one for neighborhood appearances and real estate values.
-- A house has bedrooms with doors that can be made to lock. This is greatly preferable over dormitories with no defensible space.
-- Smaller buildings are cheaper and easier to buy than larger ones.
-- People tend to feel safer in small groups than large ones, especially strangers.
-- With multiple locations, people don't have to move as far from their former home. This makes it easier to maintain employment, schooling, etc.