The capacity of the mothers' house in Most will double with the extension

source: mesto-most.cz

Most - The capacity of the shelter for mothers with children in Most will double with the addition of another floor. Other construction modifications will improve the conditions for the women accommodated there. Blahoslav Číčel, the director of the Most center of social assistance provided by the Diaconia of the Czech Brethren Evangelical Church, which operates the facility, stated this to ČTK.
    The main change is that the house will be able to provide shelter for more women in distress. Instead of seven, it will now accommodate 14 mothers and their children. Women in distress will find refuge in four rooms instead of the current three. "The capacity had to be increased because we had to turn away approximately a third of the women interested in our services," said Číčel. According to him, women seeking refuge in the shelter are those who have found themselves in a life crisis.
    It does not only concern women who have lost their roof over their heads. "For example, they may have been living with their children in unsuitable conditions or have become victims of domestic violence," the director said. For particularly serious cases where there is a risk that the perpetrator could locate the women again, there is a possibility of placing them in shelters with confidential addresses.
    In addition to new accommodation spaces for women with children, each of whom will have a room with its own sanitary facilities, they will also have each their own kitchenette in the new part. "The effort to move into the added floor will motivate them to adhere to all the cohabitation rules in the shelter," Číčel stated.
    The women pay 90 crowns per day for accommodation, mothers pay 70 crowns, and for each child, the cost is 30 crowns. The average length of stay, according to the director of the diaconia, is four months, with the legally established maximum being one year. "However, it does happen that women return to us after going through other shelters in the region," he said.
    In addition to the floor extension, workers are renovating the existing spaces, especially the sanitary facilities. An elevator for barrier-free access has been added to the building, which is owned by the city of Most, and it will be fully insulated. The project, costing 7.5 million crowns, is fully funded by grants from the European Union and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.