A northern Utah nonprofit dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic violence is accelerating efforts to bring transitional housing to the community where two police officers were shot and killed last month after responding to a domestic disturbance call.
“We’ve been quietly working on it for a little bit now,” said Josh Thompson, development and communications officer for the Logan-based nonprofit Citizens Against Physical and Sexual Abuse, or CAPSA, as it’s commonly known. “The tragedy that happened is something that has motivated us to move faster.”
Thompson said the organization has been working since last year on plans to establish longer-term transitional housing for domestic violence survivors in Garland. The project began after donors, inspired by the impact of CAPSA’s services in Logan, donated seven acres.
Plans call for building two fourplexes, the nonprofit said.
Thompson said he could not share a timeline for when the housing will open, but said building it will remove one of the biggest obstacles survivors face when trying to leave an abusive situation. Many survivors remain in unsafe circumstances because they have nowhere to go, he said, or risk becoming homeless if they leave.
The transitional housing will give survivors in an isolated area of the state a safe place to stay for up to two years while connecting them with resources to help them become financially stable and independent.
“Everything we do is about reducing barriers to be able to move on and have independence when you’ve experienced domestic violence,” Thompson said, “and geography sometimes is one of those barriers. And being there in Tremonton and Garland, it’s about a 25 minute drive down to Brigham City. It’s about 35 minutes into Logan. So, being able to have housing available is just a barrier that we are trying to break down.”
If CAPSA can provide services that make it safer for survivors, he said, that will also lead to safer situations for police.
“We hope to prevent future situations like this,” he said of the Aug. 17 Tremonton shooting that killed Tremonton-Garland Police Department Sgt. Lee Sorensen and Officer Eric Estrada.
The couple who donated the land, Jennifer and Jan-Erik Schow, said they were inspired after touring CAPSA’s Logan campus and seeing the full range of services provided there. They wanted to make those services available closer to home, in a community Jennifer described as an “island” because of its limited access to support centers.
“They just had the whole package,” Jan-Erik said. “When I saw that, I just wanted that in our community.”
Megan Talamantez, executive director of New Hope Crisis Center, which provides services in Box Elder County, said more survivors of domestic violence have sought help in recent years.
She said one factor could be the lethality assessment protocol, which Utah law enforcement is required to use to identify domestic violence victims and evaluate their risk of being killed. The protocol has helped the center build stronger relationships with police, leading to more survivors identifying their needs and accessing resources.
“We definitely have seen numbers continue to rise,” she said. “And there’s more general awareness of the services we offer. We will help anyone.”
New Hope provides advocacy and resources for survivors of domestic violence, including emergency shelter, assistance with protective orders and stalking injunctions, and hospital accompaniment for rape examinations. The center is also building a new shelter in Brigham City, set to open next spring, that will double its capacity for emergency housing. Eventually, the current facility will be converted into transitional housing for longer-term stays.
Talamantez said the recent tragedy in Tremonton has been felt throughout Box Elder County.
“We’ve seen it,” she said, “the outpouring of support for the officer’s families, for our Police Department. It also brings a little bit of comfort knowing that we have all come together and rallied together as a community. But ultimately, if you or anyone is affected by this, or if you know anyone who’s struggling with domestic violence, or if you’re scared and don’t know where to turn for help, just know that you’re not alone and that we’re here for you.”
