Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A local non-profit that provides comprehensive services for victims of child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual violence has moved into its new forever home.

The LACASA Center has relocated to a newly constructed facility on Tooley Road in Howell and a phased-move to the new building is complete. It sits on a 20-acre parcel of land across the street from the Livingston County EMS headquarters. The new facility is 50,000-square-feet.

LACASA President and CEO Bobette Schrandt said the organization has been grappling with severe overcrowding for years and they’ve been eagerly anticipating the completion of the move - which will enhance every aspect of the way they provide services for victims, survivors, and their families.

The new facility is a culmination of intensive exploratory and project initiation phases accomplished by the organization’s board of directors. Plans to identify a building site and construct a new facility began in 2018. Since then, the agency has raised more than $12.1 million from key philanthropic donors and charitable foundations during the project’s private fundraising phase. The total facility cost is $15 million.

Schrandt said they have now begun the public phase of their fundraising campaign, in which they’ll ask members of the community to stand with victims and survivors and support LACASA’s new facility. The public can help by making financial donations to cover essential needs at the shelter and throughout their facility areas—from larger items like furnishing accents and décor to smaller items like kitchen supplies and bedding sets.

The new center is designed to create an empowering environment for abuse victims and survivors, Schrandt said. Unlike the current shelter, which housed three people to a room and required six people to share a bathroom, the new Crisis Shelter features private studio rooms with small kitchenettes and ensuite baths.

Schrandt said “The more we learn about trauma, the more we understand that thrusting people into crowded living situations that lack privacy creates more trauma”.

LACASA’s new Crisis Shelter includes an expansive dining room, a commercial communal kitchen, tranquil common areas, laundry facilities, a designated teen room, a children’s activity area, and an outside playground with seating areas for parents and families.

The shelter’s Safe Pet Place has been expanded to comfortably accommodate victims’ pets. A spacious dog-run area enables victims and their children to enjoy outdoor time with their canine companions.

Board of Directors Chair Pat Claffey commented that “LACASA is leading the way in reimagining and redefining the future of organizations that serve abuse victims and survivors. Claffey added “This innovative, one-of-a-kind facility is designed to foster self-worth, self-respect, and self-empowerment for victims of abuse. The modern, spacious, light-filled environment provides a welcoming, comforting, and dignified setting for victims and their families”.

Since LACASA was first established in 1981, the organization’s services and programs have continued to expand, based on community need. Schrandt said the number of shelter residents and agency clients seeking critical services has increased each year. She said growth in every area of the organization has exceeded the space needed for them to operate efficiently and effectively – adding one of their biggest concerns in recent years has been shelter overcrowding.

Schrandt said when their Crisis Shelter reaches residential capacity, they do not turn away victims. Instead, they arrange secure off-site hoteling for victims and their families until space opens in their shelter – which dramatically increases the costs incurred to keep families safe.

Last year, the cost for LACASA to provide temporary off-site hoteling and meals for victims and their children exceeded $50,000.

LACASA’s new Crisis Shelter is designed to accommodate 56 residents, which more than doubles the current facility’s capacity.

LACASA’s new Sexual Assault Response Center unit includes two sexual assault forensic examination rooms, a post-exam bathroom and shower facility, a dedicated office for LACASA’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, as well as a private waiting area for family members and friends.

The agency’s Child Advocacy Center features its own entrance and access to two forensic Child Abuse Response Effort (CARE) interview rooms with private family waiting rooms; children’s counseling and activity areas, as well as a sensory playground for children with special needs.

New client-service areas include defined spaces for individual counseling sessions, support group meetings, and legal advocacy services, as well as conference rooms for staff and community meetings, classes, and training sessions.

More information is available in the attached release.