Transitional Apartments For Women Leaving Shelters

“The transitional apartment was breathing room for me when I left the shelter. Without family in the country, and no savings, I might have returned to my husband and to the violence in order to support my children… so I would have food to put on the table…“ (from M. who stayed at a “No2Violence” shelter for a year and in a transitional apartment for another year).

“No2Violence” was established in 1977 in Herzliya, in order to save women and children suffering from domestic violence, enabling them to leave and start a new life by providing them with shelter, professional help, vocational training, legal aid and by raising awareness about domestic violence.

Women fleeing violence at home, stay in a safe and secure shelter for between six months to a year. At the end of this period of protection and intensive care, some women leaving the shelter require an additional period of recovery and rehabilitation to enable them to overcome the consequences of the domestic violence they experienced and to build their own independent and healthy lifestyles.

“No2Violence” has been operating transitional apartments for over 20 years for those same women who are looking for a roof over their heads, for them and their children, but find it difficult to afford rent in the initial period after they leave the shelter. The transitional apartments are located close to the shelter so that the women will be able to receive support and assistance, during this period, as an interim step towards full integration into community life.

Transitional apartments are a rehabilitative framework that allows the women and children an adjustment period from the worldview of being fully supported to a worldview of taking responsibility for their own lives.

Each apartment is designed for two women and their children, who stay there simultaneously. Stay in the apartment is on average between 6 months to a year, during which the women are completely exempt from paying rent and bills and are accompanied by “No2Violence”‘s  professional therapeutic staff. The women live an independent lifestyle but are supported by the “No2Violence”‘s staff with all the necessary preparation for complete integration.

During the stay, staff help with acquiring everyday skills required for managing an independent life, help integration into vocational training and an occupational framework, work to strengthen the relationship patterns with supporting institutions, help create social relationship patterns, and enhance the parenting patterns between the women and their children.

Women also benefit from legal aid during this period, regarding divorce, division of property, custody and visitation rights. The children and teens get professional help to assist them integrate into various educational and social frameworks.

The maintenance cost of the transitional housing, used by two families, is 108,000₪ per year.