New YWCA center will help women rebuild after domestic abuse
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A bedroom at the new Women's Live and Learn Center. Photo: Courtesy of Jeffrey Truitt
A new San Antonio home is ready to welcome women who have experienced domestic violence or other setbacks and are trying to rebuild their lives.
Why it matters: In a city with high levels of domestic violence, there are resources to help women in immediate need — but not always in the long term.
- "Oftentimes what's missing in our community is, where do they go next? When they're no longer in that immediate crisis, they still need support and access to services," Angelica Cervantes, chief operating officer for YWCA San Antonio, tells Axios.
Zoom in: The YWCA renovated the former St. Andrew's Convent on Castroville Road into the 9-acre Women's Live and Learn Center. In addition to offering a safe and affordable home, women will have access to:
- Case managers, who act as a sort of life coach
- Mental health services
- Financial counselors
- Job training
- Child care
- Education support, including guidance for college
What they're saying: The center aims to give women a place to reinvest in themselves and break generational poverty.
- "They're doing so much that, oftentimes, they become that last priority on the list — their dreams, their endeavors, what they need to be able to sustain their family," Cervantes, who's overseeing the center, says.
How it works: Priority admission is for women ages 18-26 who have experienced domestic violence, were in foster care or are at risk of being homeless. The woman can stay up to four years.
- The center has capacity for 30 women, 10 of whom can have two children up to the age of 8 with them.
- The YWCA won't charge rent for the first two years. In the last two years of their stay, rent will be based on their income.
- Some women will move in later this month or early next month.
Yes, but: Cervantes says there's not enough space to meet demand — they've received about 40 applications. But the need will always be high, Cervantes says.
By the numbers: The center cost $6.8 million, and is funded through public and private dollars. The city of San Antonio contributed about $4 million, and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio) helped secure another $500,000 in federal funding.
- Valero and Methodist Healthcare Ministries are among the private donors.
The big picture: More than 22,500 reports of family violence were filed across San Antonio in 2022, according to the most recent statistical report from the Collaborative Commission on Domestic Violence. The number of children who witnessed family violence was also on the rise.
- The region has long grappled with high rates of domestic violence-related homicides — Bexar County officials said last fall the number doubled in just a year.
- San Antonio ranked No. 14 among the top 20 largest cities for aggravated domestic violence rates, per an October report from the Council on Criminal Justice. The report also noted incidents are likely underreported.
What's next: An on-site, $7.7 million child care facility, available to the women's center and the broader community, is expected to open in November.