The Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Program of Jefferson County is about to have a new home — and so are up to 18 adults and children who have been the victims of abuse.
The Dove House, a two story building at 10th and Cleveland streets, has risen from what was once an empty field in a flash.
“We did not expect it to go this fast,” said Cheryl Bozarth, director of the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Program of Jefferson County.
“But here we are, and we’re looking at the building being open in the first part of December.
“It’s amazing to stand here and look at.”
The building is massive compared with the current location of the offices for the victim advocate organization, which has received $2.1 million in donations for Dove House.
Where the group currently has one room for counseling and one room for meetings, the new building will have four large rooms for group counseling, one-on-one interviews and activities with children.
The new facility also will have a large board room and offices for the principal administrators of the program.
“But that isn’t the cool part,” Bozarth said.
“The real great piece of this is upstairs.”
Transitional housing
Above the administration buildings are four spacious, bright and top-of-the-line apartments that will house up to 18 people in transitional housing.
“This was the vision,” Bozarth said, “for it to be a very nice place with open areas and bright lights and a welcome feeling about them.
“It’s exactly what we wanted to bring in this building.”
Unlike the present emergency shelter for abuse victims — where the limit is 90 days for tenants — the Dove House will allow residents to stay for up to two years.
Bozarth said the transitional housing will prepare people to move back into market-rate housing by the end of their stay.
The new housing is also substantially different from the emergency shelter — which is in an unknown location — in that the Dove House is very visible on the corner near the Jefferson Healthcare hospital.
Out of the shadows
The group broke ground on the project in June and made a proclamation to bring domestic violence out of the shadows with such a prominent structure in town.
Port Townsend Police Chief Conner Daily, also the chairman of the board for the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Program, said the vision was to create a space where domestic violence wasn’t “swept under the rug.”
“One of the concepts is to make domestic violence something we are aware of and talk about,” Daily said.
“It’s been behind closed doors, the conversation, and it’s been Cheryl’s vision here to make that stop.
“When you aren’t hiding it, when you’re making it a public discussion, then the public has a chance to step up.
“You end up with something great like this.”
Bozarth said the facility would hold a grand opening in the first two weeks of January.
“We will be in here as an office and resource beginning in December,” she said.
“But the day after the grand opening we will move in the first clients.
‘That’s when this really begins.”
For more information, phone the program at 360-385-5291 or see www.dvsajeffco.org.
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.
