Chesterfield plans region's first publicly run domestic violence shelter

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — For someone experiencing domestic violence, making the decision to leave an abusive situation can be difficult and dangerous. Finding a safe place to go can present another challenge.

Chesterfield County is now working to address that gap with plans for a county-run domestic violence shelter, which officials hope to open by January 2028.

The effort comes as the county continues to see thousands of domestic violence-related calls each year. Last year, Chesterfield County recorded more than 8,000 domestic violence calls and nearly 2,000 arrests.

Despite that need, the county has gone roughly two decades without a brick-and-mortar shelter dedicated to survivors of domestic violence.

"Our resource center has existed almost 30 years. We are small but mighty, a staff of four, and so there is an established service provider in the county," said Lindsay Cassada, coordinator of Chesterfield County's Domestic and Sexual Violence Resource Center. "But we've been missing the critical link, which is shelter."

The county plans to transform an existing building into what officials say would be the region's first publicly run domestic violence shelter.

Over the years, survivors have instead relied on temporary housing options, including hotel rooms. Cassada said changes in service providers and declines in funding have contributed to the lack of a permanent shelter.

"By the time the shelter opens, it will have been 20 years since there was a brick and mortar in Chesterfield, and so for 20 years it's been piecemeal," Cassada said. "And then even in the region with hoteling, even a few days in a hotel isn't enough."

The proposed shelter will include 12 bedrooms, dedicated spaces for children and an environment designed for families beginning to rebuild their lives.

The county is keeping the shelter's location confidential to protect the safety of survivors who will stay there.

Cassada said the shelter would fill a crucial gap for people who are ready to leave an abusive situation but have nowhere safe to go.

"Our why is the people that we assist that we can only get so far without the next step," Cassada said. "If you are at a point where you're able to leave and have made that decision, but there's nowhere to go, it's hard to heal and move forward."

The Resource Center can currently help survivors with safety planning, counseling, court intervention, risk assessments and other services. But Cassada said those resources can only go so far when someone does not have a safe place to stay.

Having a shelter could be especially important because leaving an abusive relationship can be one of the most dangerous periods for a survivor.

"Now we will have a central resource of this is an option, whereas before we didn't even have that option," Cassada said. "So if somebody is considering leaving or they've made the decision to leave, that absolutely is one of the most dangerous times, and we can plan a safe escape so that they're already out before the abuser has realized what's happening."

Arielle, a domestic violence survivor who turned to Chesterfield's Resource Center for help, said the support she received made a difference in her life.

Now, she has a message for others who may be afraid to take the first step.

"You are not what they called you in the dark. You are not a liability. You are not trapped, and you do not have to spend the rest of your life proving your worth to the person who tried to destroy it," Arielle said.

The shelter will be operated by Chesterfield County with help from volunteers. The team hopes to open the facility by January 2028.

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