New Iowa City domestic violence shelter on track to be finished by next September

The Domestic Violence Intervention Center, an Iowa City-based nonprofit, is continuing to raise funds to build its new domestic violence shelter, which is on track to open by the end of September 2024, according to Alta Medea, the director of community engagement for the program.

Background

Ground was broken for the new shelter May 4. The exact location of the old shelter and the new one are not publicly disclosed for security reasons.

The new shelter will feature apartment-style units for families, with a kitchen and living room connected to a couple of bedrooms.

This is a change from the current shelter, which features dorm-style living with one shared kitchen and one shared living space.

Medea said the nonprofit learned a lot about sheltering families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program used federal pandemic funding to help with social distancing in the shelter by housing some families in apartments. The families living in those apartments thrived, prompting planners to consider apartment-style housing in the new shelter.

The new shelter also will have 70 available beds, 30 more than in the current shelter, and shared community spaces, including a family youth space.

In the past year, the program served 2,416 people and housed 368 people in its emergency shelter, which has been full to capacity every day since it was built in 1993, Medea said.

What’s happened since

The nonprofit is working to raise money for the new shelter, which will cost about $6 million to build.

A fundraising event hosted Aug. 31 raised $6,314.57, pushing the amount raised to 75.9 percent, or about $4.6 million, of the goal, according to Medea.

The nonprofit also has pending grant requests out that could result in bringing in $1.6 millionfor the new building.

The fundraising event featured a raffle with baskets donated from several community sponsors, including Big Grove Brewery, Brown Deer Golf and Country Club, Cayla Swift Realty, 223 Baby Co, Leash on Life, Revival, White Rabbit and Willow & Stock.

"We are grateful to the countless donors that have supported this program so far," Medea said in a statement. “Now is the time for each of us to step up and take us the rest of the way to our goal.”

Construction has started on the new building. After it is finished, the nonprofit will begin remodeling the old shelter into an office and program space.

Those wanting to donate can do so online at dvipiowa.org/donate, or by mailing contributions to the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, 1105 S. Gilbert Ct., No. 300, Iowa City, IA 52240.

Comments: (319) 398-8328; emily.andersen@thegazette.com