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Domestic violence shelter seeks extra funding as rent and demand rise
Summary
The Dickinson domestic violence center told commissioners it faces rising rent for its safe visitation center and unusually high shelter occupancy; its outgoing director asked the county to consider adding $10,000–$15,000 to help match grants and cover costs.
Darienne Johnson, executive director of the Dickinson domestic violence center, told the Billings County Commission she is retiring Sept. 7 and introduced Kayla (first name given in the record) as the incoming executive director. Johnson described heavy recent demand at the shelter and urged continued county support: the shelter reported 56 individuals in May in a 28-bed facility and said that some stays extended beyond 90 days.
Kayla said the organization's safe visitation center — recently moved out of a long-term low-rent location — now faces higher rent ($1,900 monthly versus the prior $800). The shelter is largely grant-funded and uses county contributions as match. "That 60,000 that you guys designated towards the domestic violence ... has been a huge blessing," Kayla said, asking the commission to consider an additional $10,000 (with an alternative ask of $15,000) to help with rent and match requirements for grants.
Commissioners discussed the nonprofit’s overall budget and grant mix and agreed to include the additional $10,000 request in the preliminary county budget for review; no final appropriations were made at the meeting.
