Bolton Refuge House debuts new expansion

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - A place for people to seek refuge from domestic and other forms of abuse has now expanded. The Bolton Refuge House is now ready for occupants in its new wing, which is available to house 6 households.

Plans were announced in 2018, but plans were in the works for 4 years before that. The groundbreaking was in 2019 and, as of July of this year, the wing is ready to house victims of abuse.

“So we have 3 bedroom units outside out in the community, we have 2 bedroom units here, and now we have 1 bedroom units, so we really have the capacity to serve all individuals and serve them comfortably,” says Patricia Stein, Executive Director of the Bolton Refuge House.

The wing can expand to make 10 units, but for now, they’re sticking to 6. While more population is a new challenge for Bolton Refuge House, the wing was created to address demand in the community.

“There are 26 units, 26 different households that could be in this building at one time,” Stein says. “We need to be responsive when we’re addressing the needs of victims, to ensure that staff is available and accessible, as well as our mobile accessible services that put us out in the community.”

Many community donations have contributed to the new building, but they're still asking for donations to help offset the costs. The project was a $1 million project, and they are about $100,000 short. Bolton Refuge House is in Eau Claire, Jackson County, and Buffalo County.

The wing is open for public tours, with social distancing and a mask policy in place.

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