Victim Services Inc. plans move to downtown Johnstown, cites need for 'more space for survivors'

May 4—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Victim Services Inc. is preparing to relocate in the fall from Ferndale Borough to a larger building in downtown Johnstown.

Renovations are under way at the four-story former Red Cross building at 307 Vine St., said Erika Brosig, chief operating officer for Victim Services, which serves survivors of trafficking and domestic abuse.

"We need more space for the survivors in the community," Brosig said.

The move downtown will allow Victim Services to expand and centralize its services and give its 3,500 annual clients and nearly 40 employees access to public transportation and downtown amenities, Brosig said.

"It puts us in the heart of the city, where clients will have access to the library and gyms and Central Park — our clients can utilize all of that and also be close to Children and Youth Services, Beginnings Inc. and all the human services we have downtown," she said.

Victim Services' relocation is being made possible by private-sector partners defraying the estimated $3 million cost to renovate the Vine Street building, which has been vacant for 18 years.

The once-anticipated $749,683 in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HOME Investment Partnerships American Rescue Plan funding from the city of Johnstown never materialized for the project last fall.

However, Victim Services moved forward, signing a 30-year lease in February and securing other sources of funding.

An investment is being made by the building owner, Benshoff Enterprises LLC, a Johnstown real estate development company. Brosig said Benshoff Enterprises Principal Chris Martella has been working on blueprints and building renovations.

"His willingness to invest in the building is what is going to allow us to be there," she said. "We are extremely grateful for him. I think it speaks to the type of businessman and individual he is."

Benshoff Enterprises Director of Development Lisa Miller said the company foresees the project helping to build the economy of downtown Johnstown.

"We look at this as a hub for that section of the city as it continues to grow," she said. "This brings 40 jobs downtown, so we are excited."

The Johnstown Redevelopment Authority also assisted with conceptual drawings.

"It took a lot of people coming together to fund this," Miller said.

Most recently, Victim Services received a $10,000 grant Thursday from Lee Initatives Health & Wellness Endowment for the renovation.

Brosig said an entire floor is planned to include eight apartments for survivors of trafficking and domestic abuse, play rooms for young children and game rooms for older children "to normalize their life as much as possible."

The other floors would be dedicated for staff offices and spaces for trauma therapy, storage and room to build a ninth apartment if needed. The plans also call for a community training room for Victim Services' medical and law enforcement partners.

Victim Services expanded to include an emergency shelter in 2021 when asked by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which ended a contract with a former provider.

With support from local charitable foundations at that time, Victim Services prepared emergency apartments in a building near its Ferndale office and continues to use that shelter while its new building is under renovation.

Although its contract with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the Coalition Against Domestic Violence provided funding to double Victim Service's budget and staff so that it could provide more client services, no state funding was provided for capital improvements.

The building on Vine Street will help Victim Services answer more calls, Brosig said.

Last year, Victim Services provided 11,000 service hours to 3,500 clients through services including therapy and legal advocacy while also providing 6,000 nights of shelter to a portion of those clients, she said.

She said emergency shelter is typically used for three to six months until permanent housing is secured for clients.