Survivors escaping domestic abuse are often faced with an impossible choice: stay and endure, or leave and risk homelessness, oftentimes with their children, too.
In fact, domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness among women and children. Between 22 percent and 57 percent of homeless women and children are fleeing abuse. Can you imagine having to make that choice?
But, you have the power to make a difference in a survivor’s life — without disrupting your rental business. As spring break winds down, you may notice gaps in your booking calendar. Those quiet weeks between guests are opportunities for your property to become a lifeline for someone rebuilding and healing.
Rise Above Violence’s Safehome program is designed to bridge the gap between leaving an abusive home and finding long-term housing and stability. But we need the community’s help to provide this service.
You provide the space; we handle the rest.
Flexible, supported partnership
Rise works around your schedule. Booked in June but open in May? Full for the holidays but have mid-week availability? Your short-term rental can generate income when booked and save lives during vacancies.
Through Rise Above Violence’s Safehome Program, partnering is easy and supported:
- Flexible scheduling to fit your calendar.
- Utility reimbursements.
- Cleaning fees between clients.
- Property damage coverage.
- Potential tax write-offs and short-term rental fee discounts.
- Twenty-four-hour advocacy support for all clients.
- Thorough client vetting and signed agreements.
Partnership impact
Last year, Rise helped 74 clients find housing assistance, provided 320 nights of transitional housing (in Safehome housing) and supported families in securing long-term homes. But the need continues to grow, especially in Pagosa Springs, where affordable housing is scarce.
Your home could be the bridge between surviving and thriving. Even a few vacant weeks can become a refuge and a place for someone to catch their breath, plan their future and rediscover hope.
When survivors find a secure place to stay, their future can change. They can heal, find work and begin to rebuild.
Safe housing transforms lives.
As one survivor shared, “This program is priceless. If I had stayed in my previous situation, I wouldn’t have been able to process things and take the next steps in my life. It has allowed me to focus on my safety and start planning for a more positive future.”
To learn more about becoming a Safehome provider and how we can work with your rental schedule, contact Kristen Bair, housing advocate, at kristen@riseaboveviolence.org or (970) 264-1129, ext. 7. You can also visit www.riseaboveviolence.org.
Together, we can give survivors and their children the safe start they deserve. Together, we can turn vacant weeks into life-changing opportunities.