[Re]connect
Community support and [re]connection with others to break the isolation of abuse
Individual apartments let residents choose when to have other people in their space.
Residents living in programs with individual units talked about how much they valued being able to invite one another over for tea, conversation, or a meal. They appreciated the control they had over their own and their children’s social contacts.
Residents living in programs with individual units talked about how much they valued being able to invite one another over for tea, conversation, or a meal. They appreciated the control they had over their own and their children’s social contacts.
![“in our old [communal] shelter, if you asked anyone any day what they wanted, they would have said, I just want privacy…now people have that privacy in their individual apartment units, and this has led to greater utilization of other program services that DO bring people together like support group, kids group, etc.” Early on, we tried a number of strategies to get people into communal spaces and socializing there, but after a while, we started noticing that people were not hanging out in the communal room, but they were having each other over to coffee and dinner.” -Karin White Tautfest, YWCA Pierce County](https://www.buildingdignity.wscadv.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/I-Just-Want-Privacy.bmp "I Just Want Privacy")
At entries to private spaces, dutch doors, shades and shutters allow residents to control their environment and level of social engagement.
This makes it easy for residents to signal their openness to spontaneous socializing.
This makes it easy for residents to signal their openness to spontaneous socializing.
