Hogar Ruth, a Puerto Rico nonprofit serving survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, has begun construction of a $3.5 million Integrated Services Center in downtown Vega Alta. The three-story facility will bring legal, medical and support services together in one location, with a design intended to reduce the need for survivors to repeat traumatic experiences when seeking help from different providers.
The organization has secured $2 million through a special allocation from the U.S. Congress under the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Project Funding program, received a contribution from Kilómetros de Cambio, and is raising the remaining funds from foundations, private donors and corporate partners, with a planned opening in 2028. Executive director Lisdel Flores Barger said the center’s most important aspect is transforming how survivors are supported, not simply bringing services under one roof.
The first floor will be parking, the second will house legal, forensic and health services including a courtroom-style room for protection order hearings, and the third will host outpatient housing programs and the Sexual Assault Response Team, known as ERAAS. The project comes as Hogar Ruth marks 41 years of service: in 2025 it reached 15,222 people, delivered 51,573 services and provided 34,744 bed-nights through its emergency shelter and transitional housing.
Funding efforts include its Topaz Gala on November 20 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, featuring Límite 21.