My Sister’s Place (MSP), one of the oldest domestic violence organizations in Washington, D.C., is honored to announce the opening of a new domestic violence shelter. The additional space, named Sanctuary II, expands our emergency shelter bed capacity by nearly 50% and provides an additional 18-20 survivors/survivor families the safe shelter they urgently need. The building is newly renovated and accessible to community resources, good schools, and pertinent social services. Sanctuary II is housed in a building that MSP acquired with a grant from D.C.’s Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants.
The new shelter is urgently needed. MSP’s current 45-bed shelter, Sanctuary Plus, is almost always at capacity and frequently is unable to accommodate domestic violence survivors desperately seeking safe shelter. Without access to safe housing in moments of crisis, survivors risk homelessness, escalated abuse, and even death.
Over the past few years, pandemic stress and job losses have contributed to increased rates of domestic violence in Washington, D.C. Combined with rising inflation and a lack of affordable housing, this means that the demand for emergency beds for survivors has far surpassed capacity. New space at Sanctuary II provides a much-needed boost to emergency housing for survivors.
"For survivors looking to leave abusive relationships, access to emergency shelter is critical. The dearth of shelter beds in DC has forced many survivors to stay in dangerous situations. This is our first major shelter expansion in over 10 years, and we are thrilled to be able to provide more survivors with safe, vibrant, and warm sanctuaries to heal, rebuild, and grow,” said Mercedes Lemp, Executive Director of MSP. “We are grateful for the Mayor’s commitment to supporting domestic violence survivors and the D.C. Office of Victim Services and Justice grants who provided us a way to increase our shelter capacity.”
"MSP is grateful for the support from the city and all our supporters who have provided a way for us to expand our capacity to help more families seeking safety,” adds Shawn Wright, Chair of the MSP Board of Directors. “We are thankful to our community who generously support our mission, and to our staff, who provide superior levels of trauma-informed case management to those we serve."
MSP expresses appreciation for Amerigroup DC for being our first corporate sponsor. Adrian Jordan, president of Amerigroup DC noted, “As part of our mission to support the whole health needs of the people we serve, Amerigroup DC is proud to play a role in the establishment of their new shelter that will provide additional resources for abuse victims and their families.”
While at MSP’s shelter, survivors of domestic violence receive counseling, individual case management, and referrals to other supportive services. MSP aims to be a model in providing low-barrier and wrap-around services. MSP works with partner agencies, funders, and other stakeholders to promote the benefits of our approach. Each year, MSP serves over 500 survivors of domestic violence and is expanding our footprint throughout all programs this year.
