Juanita’s Village: A refuge for families after domestic violence, inspired by loss and hope in Benton and Franklin counties

Domestic violence is familiar to too many. Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior that can include emotional, psychological, verbal, physical, financial, sexual, or other forms of abuse.1 It hurts partners’ and families’ physical, mental, and developmental health, and it can cause homelessness for families who manage to leave abusive households.2

Communities experiencing systemic inequities, including Black,3 native,4 immigrants and refugees,5 trans people,6 and people with disabilities7 often face higher risks, greater barriers to safety, and reduced access to culturally responsive support services. 

Since 2003, Domestic Violence Services of Benton and Franklin Counties (DVSBF) has been a lifeline of support for families facing domestic violence. DVSBF recently opened its new transitional housing site, Juanita’s Village.

Domestic Violence Services of Benton and Franklin Counties logo

Juanita’s Village was created from two newly constructed fourplexes in Benton City. These homes will provide respite for eight individuals or families after they escape domestic violence. These homes are temporary and will accompany case management that empowers survivors to move forward in their lives. Commerce committed $2.165 million to the work.

Juanita’s Village is named in honor of San Juanita Montelongo. Juanita was just 20 years old in 2002, when she was murdered by her live-in boyfriend, who was also the father of her younger son.

Those who knew Juanita remember her as a hard‑working mother who loved her family deeply. She was known for her warm smile, playful sense of humor and caring nature. Juanita attended schools in Pasco and Kennewick, where she met friends who remember her with love and sorrow.

Inspired by Juanita’s death and harm to many other families in Benton and Franklin counties, DVSBF serves about 3,000 individuals per year via crisis response, prevention, legal advocacy and long-term support.

Photo of a memorial shrine to Juanita Montelongo, including photos of her and her loved ones, flowers and a wreath.
A memorial shrine for Juanita Montelongo.

DVSBF also coordinates housing for more than 300 families by providing rental assistance, including deposits and first month’s rent, assisting with housing search and placement support, assisting with document retrieval to ensure placement, and providing ongoing case management. DVSBF provided direct housing for 572 individuals and families as of December 2025.

These services ensure partners and families find safety and the opportunity to rebuild their lives. DVSBF staff stress the importance of stable housing: “Housing changes everything for our clients. Once their basic need for shelter is met, they can focus on healing, employment, and their families.” A DVSBF client agrees, saying “This program gave me more than housing — it gave me time to heal and rebuild.”

Juanita’s Village is a tribute to Juanita’s memory and to the countless victims of domestic violence whose lives were cut short. Her name is a reminder of the importance of community, compassion, and our shared responsibility to protect and honor one another via intervention and prevention. Through this new secure and safe space, Juanita’s legacy lives on, transforming loss into remembrance, and remembrance into hope.

With support from the Washington State Department of Commerce, Juanita’s Village reflects a shared commitment to addressing housing insecurity for those facing domestic violence.

Are you facing domestic violence and need help? Visit the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence website, call 800-799-7233, or text BEGIN to 88788.

  1. “Learn more about domestic violence”. Domestic Violence Services of Benton & Franklin Counties. https://dvsbf.org/help-center/learn-more/‘ ↩︎
  2. Understanding Domestic Violence and Homelessness”. Dec 03, 2024. Connections for Abused Women and their Children.
    https://www.cawc.org/news/understanding-domestic-violence-and-homelessness/ ↩︎
  3. “A Layered Look at Domestic Violence in the Black Community”. Coburn Place.
    https://coburnplace.org/stories/a-layered-look-at-domestic-violence-in-the-black-community/ ↩︎
  4. “Violence Against Native Peoples Fact Sheet”. U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/injury-tribal/media/pdfs/2025/06/Violence-Against-Native-Peoples-Fact-Sheet.pdf
    ↩︎
  5. “Intimate Partner Violence Undocumented & Immigrant Women”. National Organization for Women. https://now.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Learn-More-IPV-and-Immigrant-Womenpdf.pdf ↩︎
  6. Peitzmeier, S. M., Malik, M., Kattari, S. K., Marrow, E., Stephenson, R., Agénor, M., & Reisner, S. L. (2020). Intimate Partner Violence in Transgender Populations: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prevalence and Correlates. American journal of public health, 110(9), e1–e14. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.305774. ↩︎
  7. “The Links Between Disability & Domestic Violence”. July 28, 2022. Sanctuary for Families. https://sanctuaryforfamilies.org/disability-domestic-violence/ ↩︎