Crosslines Safe to Sleep opens new women’s shelter for independence and privacy in Springfield
Crosslines Safe to Sleep opens new women’s shelter for independence and privacy in Springfield
Publish Date: 2026-05-28 06:43:00
Source Domain: www.ky3.com
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – In August 2025, construction started on a new women’s shelter in Springfield. Thursday, the shelter officially opens.
Crosslines Community Outreach’s Safe to Sleep women’s homeless shelter has moved between hotels and churches for over a decade. Now, women needing a place to sleep will have a dedicated spot that can meet all of their needs.
The shelter can sleep up to 50 women a night, a maximum set by Springfield statute, but rather than placing cots in an open room, it’s been designed with individual pods complete with a bed, outlet, and personal light.
“I couldn’t have done it by myself,” said Betty Hansen, a former Safe to Sleep resident. “At that time, I was hopeless. It was hopeless to me. They talked about getting a new shelter, which is my heart’s passion, because we are all in this big gymnasium. There’s really no privacy and a lot of things go on, so having a place for these ladies to come where they can store their stuff, give them the time to meet that individuality that they need, where they can start healing and start the process again of maybe wanting to go in a different direction.”
Outside of the sleeping area, a warming kitchen, accessible bathroom, and shower area make sure that they can be self-sustaining, too.
“I love it,” Hansen said. “There’s a shower for the handicapped. We had handicapped ladies who came in who could not take care of themselves, and this gives them the ability to have the freedom that they need. We had ladies that came from a hospital who were ill. This gives them the ability to have a place to sleep. No more cots. You get your personalization back. You get to be somebody again, and you’ll want to make a different change. There’s a kitchen over here. The eating area is different. You’ve got an ice machine. I’m so excited.”
One of the biggest improvements is moving the area under the same roof as the rest of the Crosslines resources. This way, everyone can…
