Unable to locate the oversized scissors Monday, April 3, Safe Voices Executive Director Elise Johansen had to grab a regular pair of scissors to cut the ribbon on Monday, April 3. From left to right, Maine Housing Director Dan Brennan, Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence Executive Director Francine Garland Stark, Safe Voices Executive Director Elise Johansen, and U.S. Rep. Jared Golden.  Brian Ponce/Franklin Journal

FARMINGTON — Safe Voices‘ newest domestic abuse shelter in Farmington is open and freshly renovated after two years of hard work and dedication. The shelter, named “Lupine Landing”, has a capacity of four to six people, with four bedrooms, six beds and a communal living space that includes a kitchen and yard.

A ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the shelter’s renovations was held on Monday, April 3, at the shelter’s location, which will remain undisclosed for the safety of its occupants.

Representatives from the offices of Senator Susan Collins and Senator Angus King were in attendance, as well as Congressman Jared Golden, Maine State Representative Scott Landry, and Franklin County Commissioner Bob Carlton.

Also present were representatives from Farmington and Wilton Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Maine Housing, Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, Western Maine Community Action, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services, and Greater Franklin Development Council.

Safe Voices Executive Director Elise Johansen gives a guided tour of the freshly renovated shelter and resource center on Monday. The shelter is a communal living space built to house six residents, depending on the family size. A crib is also available for infants as well. Brian Ponce/Franklin Journal

“To see so many people show up for the ribbon cutting and to see so many community partners come and celebrate alongside us, it was lovely,” Executive Director Elise M. Johansen said.

Originally a doctor’s office, the building was donated to Safe Voices by Franklin Memorial Hospital and renovations to the facility began approximately two years ago. The project, according to Director of Development & Engagement Grace Kendall, cost roughly $2 million to complete.

Safe Voices received most of their funds and support through MaineHousing along with $50,000 from the Franklin County Commissioner’s office, as well as donor support from both the state and local level. Safe Voices also received a $20,000 grant from RedRover, which allowed Safe Voices to make the four bedrooms pet-friendly, equipped with special pet furnishings. Occupants also have direct access to an outdoor fenced area for playtime and pet relief.

The shelter will be able to shelter cats, dogs, fish, small mammals, and “pocket pets” [hamsters, mice, and rats]. This is Safe Voices second pet-friendly shelter, the first being constructed in 2019 with a $40,000 grant from RedRover.

Also attached to the building are two residential apartments, which are available for a one-year lease. The units have Maine Housing vouchers which will allow the residents to pay 30% of their income for monthly rent.

“We wanted to make sure that when people were leaving emergency shelter or needed to find other permanent housing, we would be able to create that resource for them because there’s just such a lack of housing stock in Maine,” Johansen said in a phone interview.

According to Johansen, applications to expand the apartments to include more are currently underway.

Occupants that live in the shelter will have access to a communal living area, which includes a kitchen, a living room and outdoor door that is also wheelchair accessible. Given that it was originally a doctor’s office, Safe Voices wanted the renovations to the shelter to have a more comforting feel to it.

“We really wanted to make sure that it would feel like a home for people,” Johansen said. “We know it’s an old medical building, but we didn’t want it to feel that way.”

“We wanted to make sure that when people came into the building that they felt safe,” she added.

Staff are available onsite, with a case manager and shelter advocate who are available to help connect occupants with needed services or to help with those needs.

Also onsite is a housing navigator, who will help the residents find permanent housing. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the time spent at the shelter has gone up considerably. Prior to the pandemic, residents could expect to stay at the shelter roughly three to six months before permanent housing was secured.

That time has gone up to eight months to a year, but according to Johansen, if residents are seeking housing, they are allowed to stay at the shelter as long as needed.

Safe Voices Director of Shelter and Housing Noelle Coyne, center, offers attendees a tour of the apartments and shelter space on Monday, April 3. Melissa Landry, left, of Senator Collins’ office and Safe Voices Shelter Program Manager Marta Velez, back right, observe. The kitchen is fully stocked and shared among all the residents. Brian Ponce/Franklin Journal

At the ribbon cutting ceremony, MaineHousing Director Daniel Brennan called the new shelter a “powerful statement against domestic violence.”

Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence Executive Director Francine Garland Stark added that this shelter, along with all other domestic abuse shelters in the state, were something she had dreamed for Maine many years ago. “Everyone deserves a safe place. Everyone deserves to be warm,” she stated.

Before the ribbon was cut, Noelle Coyne, director of shelter and housing services explained the meaning behind the name Lupine Landing, stating that “lupines are considered symbols of transformation and renewal, as well as inner strength to recover from trauma.”