Domestic abuse shelters emerge from shadows

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Some domestic abuse shelters in Wisconsin are moving from confidential locations in obscure neighborhoods to more mainstream, public places.

Domestic Abuse Intervention Services will cut the ribbon July 30 on a new, more visible facility in Madison. It’s moving from a nearly 100-year old house.

As the organization planned its new center, leaders consulted with nearly two dozen shelter programs around the country and visited several in Wisconsin that have become more visible. DAIS executive director Shannon Barry says the public locations generated more community support and were more accessible for clients.

The Sojourner Truth House in Milwaukee plans to break ground for a more visible shelter in September. It will move from a house it has occupied since 1980 in an undisclosed neighborhood to an intersection near downtown Milwaukee.