A "centrally located" site in East Albury been ear-marked for a new women's refuge, Yes Unlimted chief Di Glover revealed at a meeting of business leaders on Tuesday morning.
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Ms Glover made the presentation to Albury Business Connect members to outline the scope of a $3 million redevelopment bid for the city's women's refuge Betty's Place.
The project would transform the ageing communal facility into a modern 'core and cluster' crisis model, including self-contained living with on-site staff and supports for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence, she said.
The specialist homelessness agency has applied for funding from a $484.3 million state government initiative announced in October last year.
As part of the 'Making Betty's Better' campaign, the community will be invited to raise $1 million towards the project, recognsing that family violence is "everybody's business", according to Ms Glover.
A recent report showed women and children escaping domestic and family violence make up approximately half the clients seeking support from Yes Unlimited.
In 2020, Albury recorded a more than 30 per cent increase in domestic violence incidents.
Ms Glover said her team - which recently partnered with community housing provider Housing Plus - had been working on this core and cluster model for the refuge for the past three years.
"We're excited about progressing this project and that we have a centrally located piece of land that would be suitable," Ms Glover said.
"This is an opportunity to not only create more but also better quality crisis accommodation for women and children."
In the lead-up to the design phase, Yes Unlimited and Housing Plus consulted with local Aboriginal groups and yarning circles, culturally diverse groups, service providers, police, health services, and women with lived experience through informal talks, workshops and a research project in 2021.
The community consultation report, released in October, overwhelmingly found that while the current model served an important purpose for many years, "it is time for a significant change".
The community groups raised issues to be considered in planning including:
- Safety and security; a welcoming environment/sense of home; privacy; use of outdoor spaces and landscaping; therapeutic spaces such as comfortable counselling rooms; child-friendly environments; flexible communal spaces; and be inclusive of diversity.
