Much More Than a Shelter—A Community of Care
In 2025, HAWC proudly opened One Safe Place Houston (OSPH)—a groundbreaking 5.5-acre campus dedicated to providing safety, dignity, and comprehensive support for residential and non-residential survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking. This innovative space brings together trauma-informed services in one secure, thoughtfully designed location.
This innovative community of care features 135 supportive housing apartments for survivors and their families, along with a wide range of on-site resources, including:
- Behavioral health counseling
- Legal advocacy
- Childcare services
- A Houston ISD elementary school
- Community gathering spaces
- Workforce readiness and financial literacy programs
Every element of OSPH is designed to empower survivors and help them rebuild their lives with long-term economic and housing stability.
If you need emergency shelter, please contact our 24/7 hotlines.
Domestic Violence Hotline: 713-528-2121
Sexual Assault Hotline: 713-528-RAPE (7273)
TTY: 346.295.8994
"HAWC is that place of refuge and hope where I could rise above my current situation. The shelter staff helped me with a safe place to stay, clothing, and food, so I could focus on creating the life I wanted."
- Lovinah, Domestic Violence Survivor and Former HAWC Client on being a New Home Owner
Help begins with a compassionate and caring advocate.
Escaping abuse and violence takes courage.
It also takes its toll. Women, children and families entering One Safe Place Houston can expect safe, clean and comfortable amenities while accessing a host of programs, resources and support staff. Each client is assigned to a case advocate. Together, they set goals, develop an individualized safety plan and discuss additional community resources to make informed decisions about the client’s future.
Children and youth are a top priority.
For children, enduring and witnessing abuse can be especially traumatic, and change can be tough as they enter supportive housing. Our dedicated and highly trained children’s staff create a safe and comfortable environment that focuses on the needs of each child so they can work through the trauma, develop coping skills and spend time having fun and being a kid again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. To remove the barriers of securing childcare, we offer daycare, educational arrangements, and after-school programming to ensure mothers can work towards goals, such as counseling, education, employment and financial empowerment.
Yes. To promote economic empowerment and independence, the Economic Empowerment Program provides assistance and resources to help each client identify and work toward educational goals and/or employment.
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- Individual and group counseling are available under the direction of a trained psychotherapist, with a focus on reducing and managing trauma, enhancing coping skills and gaining knowledge and awareness about the dynamics of violence.
- Collaboration with other community partners to create a holistic wellness map, and utilization of a multi-modal approach in bringing stability and healing from abuse history.
- An Economic Empowerment Program, including skills assessment, resume building, career training, and financial assistance for education.
- Advocacy, resources and referrals provided during individual appointments and weekly meetings.
- Cafeteria dining, serving 3 nutritious meals daily to all residents.
- Parenting education classes.
- A courtyard and covered age-appropriate play areas.
- An on-site early childhood education and Houston Independent School District classroom.