YWCA Dayton seeks new Huber Heights site

The YWCA Dayton is aiming to open an additional location in Huber Heights.

While the plan for the new space is still early and exploratory, YWCA Dayton Shannon Isom said the additional site should be a community space to work on addressing broader community issues.

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YWCA Dayton is now based in downtown Dayton with an additional location in Preble County, with some of its core work including its domestic violence shelter, permanent supportive housing program and other related support services for survivors.

The services in Huber Heights, however, will be different from the services at the main downtown building, though the specifics are still being decided.

“I think our programs in our downtown space have been very tactical, very transactional and very individual focused and that’s needed,” Isom said. “But we’re hoping the feel of what will be out there … will feel more like community and it will certainly be what we hope is a convener in a neutral space to solve problems that have to do with gender justice as well as racial justice.”

She said they are looking at whether they could have some type of social enterprise at the site, where clients could be employed and philanthropic dollars could be leveraged in a social-minded business enterprise.

The proposed location is at 7650 Timbercrest Drive, Huber Heights, which they are still working on acquiring.

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Isom said it is a project that will take community partnerships to happen.

“Although it will be a YWCA space, this will be a community space and we mean that in every sense of the word,” Isom said. “Nothing will be done, no decision will be made, without there being stakeholders from Huber Heights and stakeholders within industry making sure we are doing this in the right way and more importantly that we’re doing this in a way that yields what we want to see, which is something different for our community.”

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