Tag Archive for: Transitional Housing

New Year, Same Life-Saving Services

As we step into a new year, the season of goal-setting and self-improvement is in full swing. Many of us are reflecting on where we’ve been, envisioning where we’d like to go, and planning the steps it will take to get there. At CAPSA, we want you to know that this spirit of renewal and growth aligns perfectly with our mission. Whether you’re seeking safety, healing, or a fresh start, CAPSA continues to provide life-saving services to support you every step of the way.

A Fresh Start for Survivors

For survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, the idea of new beginnings can feel daunting. Setting goals and working on personal growth may seem out of reach when you’re navigating difficult circumstances or healing from trauma. That’s why CAPSA’s life-saving services are designed to meet you where you are and help you build the future you envision—not just in January, but every day of the year.

Seeking support is not just an act of bravery; it’s a powerful declaration that you are ready to embrace the hope and healing you deserve. At CAPSA, we’re here to walk beside you through every step of your journey. Our comprehensive programs are designed to empower survivors, restore independence, and create lasting change.

Services We Offer

At CAPSA, our services are centered around providing hope, choice, freedom, and independence. Here’s how we can support you:

  • Emergency Shelter: If you need immediate safety, our emergency shelter offers a secure and welcoming space. You deserve to feel safe and supported.
  • 24/7 Crisis Hotline: Our confidential hotline is available around the clock to offer guidance, support, or just a listening ear. You can reach us any time at (435) 753-2500.
  • Therapy and Counseling: Healing is a journey, and our licensed therapists specialize in helping survivors process trauma and rebuild their lives.
  • Case Management: Our caseworkers work with you to create personalized plans, connecting you with resources for housing, employment, and education.
  • Support Groups: Sharing your experiences with others who understand can be incredibly empowering. Our support groups foster community and healing.
  • Legal Advocacy: Navigating the legal system can be overwhelming. Our advocates are here to guide you through protective orders, custody arrangements, and other legal needs.
  • Transitional Housing: For those ready to take the next step toward independence, our transitional housing program provides stable, affordable housing.
  • Prevention and Education: CAPSA also works within the community to prevent violence through education and awareness programs, helping create a safer future for all.

New Year, New Opportunities

The start of a new year is an opportunity to reclaim your voice, set boundaries, and embrace the life you deserve. At CAPSA, we believe in your resilience and strength. Whether you’re reaching out for the first time or continuing on your journey with us, we’re here to provide the tools, resources, and support you need to achieve your goals.

Self-improvement doesn’t have to mean monumental changes overnight. Small steps, like calling our hotline, attending a support group, or setting up a meeting with a caseworker, can be transformative. Each step you take toward healing and growth is an act of courage and self-love.

Partnering with the Community

CAPSA’s work would not be possible without the support of our community. From financial contributions to volunteer efforts, your involvement helps us provide life-saving services to those who need them most. Together, we can create a world where survivors feel empowered to start anew.

This year, consider how you might support CAPSA’s mission. Share our resources with someone who might need them, volunteer your time, or donate to help sustain our programs. Every action, no matter how small, contributes to a larger movement of hope and healing.

You Are Not Alone

As we embrace the possibilities of a new year, CAPSA reaffirms our commitment to being a lifeline for survivors. You are not alone, and help is always available. Together, we can turn the page and write a new chapter—one of safety, empowerment, and hope.

If you or someone you know needs support, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Your journey is important, and we are honored to walk it with you. Visit CAPSA.org to learn more about our services or to find ways to get involved.

Empowering Independence: CAPSA’s Commitment to Survivors

Empowering Independence

In the month of July, many celebrate Independence. For survivors of domestic and sexual violence, independence and freedom have often been taken or compromised. At CAPSA, our focus is on empowering individuals toward independence. This begins with the belief that survivors understand their situations and circumstances better than anyone else. We start by believing a survivor’s experience and presenting them with resources and options. We recognize the many reasons why people may choose to stay in a relationship—finances, love, dependence, or worry for children, to name a few. Understanding the complexity of abuse, and that it takes an average of seven attempts to leave, we prioritize action planning and safety planning.

Emergency Shelter

For their safety, individuals sometimes choose to access our emergency shelter. At CAPSA, our shelter is designed to promote independence. Survivors prepare their own meals, help keep the spaces tidy, and work with a caseworker to take the next steps. We acknowledge that shelter living is not a long-term solution. Therefore, CAPSA has developed a transitional housing program that offers individuals and families a longer-term option. In CAPSA’s housing program, individuals receive financial support for a time while they establish employment, childcare, a budget, and other essential tools. As individuals gain access to resources, we encourage independence so that when they move on from this program, they can live independently.

Transitional Housing

A key part of the transitional housing program is the twenty-one homes that CAPSA owns, situated in two neighborhoods named Independence Place and Independence Way. Independence Place represents a safe environment where survivors can find stability and support as they transition from crisis to confidence. Each resident is provided with the tools and resources needed to heal and grow, including counseling, education, and advocacy for themselves and their children. Our goal is to empower individuals to make their own choices and build lives that reflect their aspirations and dreams.

The name “Independence Place” is a deliberate and powerful choice, reflecting the essence of what we strive to achieve at CAPSA.

Here to Help

At CAPSA, we are committed to providing survivor-centered services that meet the unique needs of those who seek our support. When you call CAPSA at 435-753-2500, you can expect a warm response, information and support, advocacy, and confidentiality. We want survivors to know that they are not alone and that they have the power to make informed decisions about their safety and well-being. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, please don’t hesitate to call CAPSA.

Housing Program Success Story

Madeline’s Story

Madeline’s story is one that is common among survivors fleeing abusive situations.  

*Name changed to protect identity  

After experiencing years of physical, emotional, and sometimes sexual abuse at the hands of her partner, Madeline woke in the early hours of a Winter morning and knew this was her chance to get her and her two-year-old son out of this horrific situation. She grabbed her wallet, keys, slipped on a coat, and made sure her son was dressed for the Cache Valley Winter weather. After calling our hotline, Madeline made it safely to our shelter and was immediately assisted by our staff and caseworkers. To this day she still remembers the terrifying feeling that accompanied her. The feeling of not knowing how she was going to be able to support her and her young son. After meeting with caseworkers, she said she was able to establish an action plan and apply for CAPSA’s traditional housing program that would allow her to have a place to stay while she rebuilt her credit and worked towards a stable financial situation. The relief that came when she was able to move into one of our units, secure a job, and put food on the table is something she will never forget. She was able to rebuild her life using our housing services and is now living on her own, and able to care for her and her son with full confidence in herself and her abilities.  

 

 

CAPSA Services are Free and Confidential

 If you or anyone you know is experiencing abuse, CAPSA can provide free and confidential services. Call 435-753-2500 to speak with a trained advocate. 

, ,

Housing CELEBRATION and ANNOUNCEMENT

Today CAPSA, The Dell Loy Hansen Family Foundation and Altabank planned on hosting a CELEBRATION and ANNOUNCEMENT media event.  Although we had to cancel this event due to COVID-19, we still wanted to share the news and celebrate at a distance.

SAFE HOMES – CAPSA’S HOUSING PROGRAM

For individuals and families escaping abuse, a safe home is important to the healing process; this is why CAPSA offers multiple housing programs for our clients. The primary program combines rent subsidies with educational workgroups and case management. Families find housing in our community and are able to remain in this program for up to two years as they work towards independence.

Independance Place

Many clients may not qualify for community based housing because of lack of job history, credit damage by abuse or other reasons; therefore, in 2015, CAPSA built Independence Place, a nine home neighborhood. This is the only neighborhood owned by a nonprofit domestic violence service center in Utah. This neighborhood provides a safety net for families who struggle to secure housing. Families in Independence Place participate in the same transitional housing program and can also stay in these homes for up to two years.

CELEBRATION – HOME AND FAMILY SPONSORS

CAPSA’s transitional housing program averages over 30 families –  the average annual rent subsidies are $6,000 per family per year. Working with Altabank, CAPSA created a home and family sponsorship program in which organizations and donors sponsor a home and family by covering this annual housing cost.

Altabank was our first sponsor and their vision has led to the following sponsors:

We want to thank all of our sponsors for their support of CAPSA and Safe Homes.

When we started this program, our goal was to obtain nine sponsors; we reached that goal earlier this year. This program now generates more than $50,000 per year supporting CAPSA’s housing program and other core services.

You can learn more about home sponsorship at: https://www.capsa.org/home-sponsor

ANNOUNCEMENT – FOURPLEX

Although you may have already seen the media’s coverage on the opening of the fourplex, we had planned to announce it at this event. This fourplex is CAPSA’s newest extension to our transitional housing program.

The Dell Loy Hansen Family Foundation purchased a fourplex earlier this year for CAPSA’s exclusive use for our transitional housing program. The property was in need of major repairs, so the Real Salt Lake (RSL) Foundation donated $60,000 to completely renovate these homes. They were scheduled to be completed in late April.

However, due to the COVID-19 public crisis, CAPSA needed more emergency shelter space to accommodate the social distancing precautions and increased demand for shelter. In response to the crisis concerns, the RSL Foundation worked with the contractors on this project to finalize and open these units  almost a month early.

During this crisis, CAPSA will utilize these units for a combination of emergency shelter and transitional housing.

You can read more from:

Cache Valley Daily | HJ NEWS | KSL | ABC 4 | SL Tribune

Video of the progress

ANNOUNCEMENT – INDEPENDENCE WAY

Lastly, CAPSA is excited to announce that we are in the process of building a second neighborhood called Independence Way. We plan to finish this project later this year.

The need for affordable housing is essential in helping our clients. CAPSA had the opportunity to purchase a planned neighborhood development which includes an existing triplex and five building lots. The total cost for this project is $1.8 million. We are excited to report that this project is 100 percent funded.

We want to highlight the major contributors to this project:

We also had several individual donors that contributed to Independence Way.

Thank you to everyone who supported this project to ensure safe homes for our clients.

These homes will also be available for sponsorship. Learn more at: https://www.capsa.org/home-sponsor

We wish we could have shared and celebrated the announcements of these amazing projects with you in person. It is only because of your support that we’re able to accomplish this work – thank you!

,

Malouf, MW Construction & ICON join Lewiston State Bank in each sponsoring a home within CAPSA’s transitional housing neighborhood

On January 30, 2018, Lewiston State Bank announced its continual support of Citizens Against Physical and Sexual Abuse by sponsoring a house within CAPSA’s nine-home transitional housing neighborhood, Independence Place. Lewiston State Bank’s gift has become the seed for additional sponsorships.  

CAPSA offers a transitional housing program for clients leaving shelter. The program combines rent subsidies (CAPSA pays the full rent for 3 months and then gradually transitions the rent over two years) with educational workgroups and case management for an average of 20 families between CAPSA’s Independence Place neighborhood and apartments in the community.  

The program focuses on developing independence by reducing housing expenses and assisting clients as they work toward a life asset such as a down payment on a home, starting a business or pursuing an education.  

CAPSA began seeking sponsors in response to a growing concern that the Transitional Housing – Violence Against Women Act funding will not be renewed. This would represent a significant loss in funds for CAPSA’s clients and transitional housing program. 

CAPSA has been a beneficiary of the transitional housing grant for the last nine years and utilizes the money to fund scatter site rent subsidies, workgroups, and a full-time caseworker.  

Jill Anderson, CAPSA’s executive director, thanked Lewiston State Bank for being the first business to fund a home, and thereby create momentum for this project. 

“Though CAPSA owns nine homes, if the federal funding fails to renew, it will be devastating because CAPSA will no longer have funds to assist the current twelve families or future families with scatter-site housing support and the salary of a full-time caseworker,” Anderson said. “This is why Lewiston State Bank’s initial annual commitment and example was so important.”  

Dale Buxton, Lewiston State Bank president, said he wanted the donation to spur other businesses forward. The gift was given with the hope to encourage future donations, not to bring any praise or credit to the bank.   

Buxton’s goal has been realized, as the Malouf Foundation, MW Construction and the ICON Foundation have all agreed to sponsor a home. These combined sponsorships will bring in $30,000 for CAPSA and aid four families.  

“It’s amazing to have so much community support,” Anderson said. “To have four businesses provide this kind of assistance to us within the last two months, it’s overwhelming.” 

The Malouf Foundation has supported CAPSA for more than 8 years with donated sheets, pillows, and blankets for more than 300 shelter clients each year. Starting in 2016, Malouf began hosting an annual art auction fundraiser on CAPSA’s behalf which has raised over $65,000 for CAPSA. Malouf employees also participate in a payroll deduction system, where employees donate a little from each paycheck to support CAPSA’s zero turn-a-way initiative.  

Kacie Malouf, co-founder of Malouf and member of CAPSA’s board of directors, said she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to assist in this way.  

“One of the things employees find especially engaging and fulfilling about working at Malouf is the opportunity to serve within the community,” Malouf said. “As a company, we feel strongly that our success in business motivates and allows us to give back to the community. We believe in CAPSA’s mission and we’re committed to helping them.”

MW Construction has been supporting CAPSA for years including building CAPSA’s shelter and recent Gail Bird Wienshenker Therapy and Mary Palley Children Center Addition which opened one year ago. So, when Mike Funk, owner of MW Construction, heard about the Independence Place sponsorships, he concisely and quickly said, “I’m in.” 

“I love the work CAPSA does because it truly helps people” Funk states. “I am grateful to be a small part of this organization and to show my support. I encourage other businesses to find ways to support CAPSA and see how your support will benefit our community.”   

The ICON Foundation’s committee is full of amazing people who are committed to helping CAPSA in whatever way possible. 

Part of the mission of ICON’s foundation is to help provide year-round relief for members of the community in critical need. 

“In February, we asked Jill and James to come and present on CAPSA’s needs,” ICON Foundation Chairman, Jamie Jorgensen said. “They listed security needs, technology needs and the need for families to have a safe place to stay. When they presented, I knew we needed to be a part of as many initiatives as we could to help. CAPSA has an amazing staff whose dedication to their mission is incredible. I am a native of Cache Valley and one of the main reasons I love living here so much is the generous support of the community and how everyone takes care of each other to make it a wonderful, safe and happy place for everyone to live.”  

Jorgensen continued saying she feels very fortunate to be a part of this initiative, and she looks forward to providing ICON employees with opportunities to serve.  

As part of sponsoring a home, CAPSA’s goal is to have each organization take pride in their home and help maintain its beauty. 

“We want organizations to come out and plant flowers together, rake leaves together and be involved in the upkeep and maintenance of the house,” James Boyd, CAPSA’s development director said. “For us, it’s about more than the money. It’s about getting the wonderful people from each organization involved in supporting survivors of abuse.”  

With these three new sponsorships, CAPSA now has only five homes without sponsors. Boyd said CAPSA’s goal is to have every house sponsored by the end of the fiscal year, in June. A house sponsorship costs $6,000 a year. To learn more about the details, please contact James Boyd at james@capsa.org or (435) 760-5277.  

#  #  # 

Contact: James Boyd, Development Director for CAPSA, james@capsa.org, (435) 760-5277