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# ‘This is going to be life-changing’: Chesterfield to open the area’s first publicly run domestic violence shelter
- URL: https://www.richmonder.org/this-is-going-to-be-life-changing-chesterfield-to-open-the-areas-first-publicly-run-domestic-violence-shelter/
- Published: 2026-10-08T14:27:07.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T14:27:07.000Z
- Description: The team is aiming for a January 2028 opening. The shelter will be completely county-run with volunteer help.
- Author: Eleanor Shaw
- Tags: Chesterfield County, #the-bridge

When someone in Chesterfield needs to leave an abusive relationship, finding a safe place to go can be nearly as difficult as making the decision.

That’s the gap the county hopes to close with its first publicly operated domestic violence shelter, a roughly 16-bed facility expected to open in early 2028.

It’s been a passion project for Clover Hill Supervisor Jessica Schneider, who said she got the ball rolling after a budget surplus offered opportunity.

“It’s been a priority because I’m a survivor from my first marriage,” Schneider said.

“A lot of times if you don't have a place to go, that’s one of the biggest reasons why people stay in relationships that are violent or abusive.”

The shelter will be inside a refurbished building the county already owns (the location won’t be made public for safety reasons). 

The design phase is wrapping up, and with construction on the horizon, Schneider said the team is aiming for a January 2028 opening. The shelter will be completely county-run with volunteer help.

Helping lead the operation are Domestic and Sexual Violence Resource Center Coordinator Lindsay Cassada and Director of Juvenile Justice Services Michelle Smith. 

Cassada has expertise in assisting those impacted by domestic violence, and Smith has years' worth of experience building shelters for in-need groups — a combination Cassada dubbed “a lovely marriage.”

“I’m so grateful that Chesterfield has put this dedication to building this facility because it is so needed and that is not something that all localities have the capacity to do,” Smith said.

To the duo’s knowledge, this is the first publicly run shelter in the region. Since the idea was conceived, they’ve traveled to different facilities and talked with their operators, learning from mistakes and successes alike.

“The people on this team want to see it done well and done right,” Cassada said. “This isn’t a checkbox. This is really people who have been on the front lines and seen what the needs are.”

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/2026/10/IMG_3002-1.jpg)

"Go Purple!" attendees pose in front of Chesterfield's historic courthouse on Monday.

For Cassada, one of the most difficult parts of her job is meeting someone who needs to leave their situation, but there’s nowhere to go. 

In worst-of-the-worst scenarios, people have been using hotels as temporary safe spaces — Schneider said she’s heard that some police officers have paid for rooms out of their own pocket. 

“Folks are seeking shelter,” Cassada said. “It’s a matter of being able to fulfill the need that already exists.”

The county has a preexisting network of support services (which is a combination of public and private partners). But having a domestic violence shelter within the county’s borders will revolutionize Chesterfield’s ability to help those in need, Cassada believes.

“Shelter is going to be the biggest puzzle piece by far. It has been the biggest gap,” she said. “This is going to be life-changing.”

It’s become a labor of love for everyone involved. The county wants to do things right, Smith said, and will make more information available to the public as the shelter’s official date approaches.

“I, through the years, just find a lot of reward in making sure that we are paying attention to those folks because they do not have a lot of folks around them paying attention to them,” Smith said.

*Contact Eleanor Shaw at* [*eshaw@richmonder.org*](mailto:eshaw@richmonder.org)*. She is a Report for America corps member.*