WASHINGTON — The only shelter that houses domestic violence victims with families is out of commission in Prince George’s County, and officials are concerned about what they call a housing crisis for those seeking safe haven.
A county inspection Friday of the Family Crisis Center found “significant safety issues,” according to interim director Michele Williams. The center, she said, will be closed for three to four additional weeks for those needed repairs.
“The biggest impediment to having women and men leave unsafe situations is that they ask themselves, ‘Where would I go?’ We have one housing shelter in the county — one,” said Angela Alsobrooks, the state’s attorney for Prince George’s County.
The Family Crisis Center, which fell into disrepair, is that one shelter. The center closed after families reported poor conditions — including heating issues, spoiled food, and mold — which led to the firing of the director.
The county is spending part of a $1.2 million state grant to house those families in hotels until the shelter reopens.
“We relocated every woman living in that Family Crisis Center into hotels until we could find a more-permanent plan, but that’s to help women who are in dangerous situations,” Alsobrooks said.
And more are in need of such resources than ever before.
Prince George’s County police responded to 1,196 more domestic violence calls in 2017 than 2016, and victims applied for roughly 5,000 more protective orders than the year before, which police Lt. Katina Gomez said is due to an increased effort to make the community aware of its resources.
County Executive Rushern Baker agrees that more housing options are needed in the county for those seeking safety.
“What I’d like to see is something like the House of Ruth come here that has a history of doing this and doing it well in the county in a significant way,” Baker said.
