New domestic violence shelter opens in Ventura County
VENTURA, Calif. — More than 1 in 3 women and over 1 in 6 men experienced some type of violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetimes, according to the CDC.
What You Need To Know
- A new domestic violence shelter opened in Ventura County, offering a safe place for survivors looking to leave their abusive situations
- The facility offers six beds, two restrooms and four additional units to accommodate those with specialized needs, providing a 15-20-day safe housing option for survivors
- The shelter is steps away from the Ventura County Justice Center, one of the first places officials said survivors come to for help
This month, a new domestic violence shelter opened in Ventura County offering a safe place for survivors looking to leave their abusive situations.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was hosted by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office and Coalition for Family Harmony, the nonprofit that’s operating the shelter, to celebrate the shelter’s opening. The celebration welcomed county officials, advocates and a domestic violence survivor.
“Walking into the coalition as a shell of the person that I am today, and to be here now advocating for others is an amazing moment that I never thought would be possible,” said Amber Thompson, who received help from the Coalition for Family Harmony over a year ago.
Thompson is now an advocate for domestic violence survivors and the LGBTQ+ community. She said the fear of becoming homeless made it harder for her to leave her abuser.
“You’re faced with the choice of going through the pain or being homeless and putting your children into a situation that could potentially be more pain,” said Thompson.
Many other DV survivors face that same dilemma. Caroline Prijatel-Sutton, executive director with Coalition for Family Harmony, said 38% of DV survivors become homeless at some point in their lives.
“The ability to go somewhere safe, many people don’t have the resources, they don’t have family members that they can go to. So they stay in an abusive situation, and that abuse escalates and can then possibly become lethal,” said Prijatel-Sutton.
That’s why the new DV shelter is so important. The facility offers six beds, two restrooms and four additional units to accommodate those with specialized needs, providing a 15–20-day safe housing option for survivors.
Advocates and county officials say some survivors have children and pets, which can make it even more difficult to leave their abusive situations. The shelter, which includes those additional pellet units, can accommodate both.
The shelter has onsite staff to offer services, including counseling and advocacy. Plus, it’s steps away from the Ventura County Family Justice Center.
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said this is critical, as the FJC is one of the first places many survivors come to looking for help.
“They need immediate and urgent assistance. So, when you have a dedicated center that can deal with not just the shelter, but also the legal aspects, you are, I believe, breaking the cycle of violence ultimately,” said Nasarenko.
The shelter cost more than $2 million, with most of the funding coming from federal dollars secured by Rep. Salud Carbajal. Additional funding came from the county and the Ventura County Community Foundation.
によると data provided by the California Department of Justice, domestic violence-related calls for assistance have fallen between 2021 and 2024 in Ventura County. Officials at the ribbon-cutting ceremony believe partnerships like these have contributed to the decrease.
“This is absolutely going to change lives. There’s no doubt about that whatsoever,” said Thompson.
As a survivor herself, she believes this type of support will help other survivors rebuild their lives.