Antrece Baggett remembers the night in 1974, a year that changed her family dynamic for the rest of her life.
She was in the fifth grade when her father, in a fit of rage, beat her mother with a clothes hanger. The next morning, as her mother tried to cover her bruises with makeup, Baggett was called to the school office, where she learned she could never go home again.
Her father had been calling the school, threatening to kill her mother and her siblings.
With no domestic violence shelters available in Houston at the time, Baggett, her mother and her two brothers were forced to live in different homes for safety. The police devised a plan to ensure they were never in the same car at the same time—an effort to prevent their father from running them off the road. She was only 10-years-old.
“I remember thinking, ‘This is how we have to live now?’ It was terrifying,” Baggett said. “There was no place for us to go. No shelter, no safety net.”
As a student at Texas Southern University in the 90s, Baggett found herself drawn to the Houston Area Women’s Center (HAWC). She began volunteering at its first shelter, working with women instead of children because she wanted to understand why her mother kept going back to her abuser.
“Through my research, I learned that women leave abusive relationships an average of seven times before staying away for good. Shame, financial constraints, religious beliefs and community pressures often drive them back.”
Antrece Baggett, Domestic violence awareness advocate
Now an American History and African American Studies professor at Houston Community College, she is also the founding director of Women and Gender Studies. Through her work, she educates students about the historical and societal factors that perpetuate cycles of abuse. She also serves on the Adult Death Review Team, analyzing domestic violence cases to identify service gaps and ways to prevent future tragedies.
Fast-forward to 2025. Witnessing the opening of One Safe Place, the Houston Area Women’s Center’s newest facility, was deeply personal for Baggett.
“Coming here helps heal the little girl in me that didn’t have anywhere to go with her mom and her brothers,” she said.
One Safe Place, a flagship campus expected to open in April, is designed to provide survivors of domestic abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking with safe housing and vital support services. The 5.5-acre campus represents the next chapter in HAWC’s 48-year history of empowering survivors.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo addressed the county’s involvement in dealing with domestic violence during a ribbon-cutting ceremony and facility tour attended by elected officials and stakeholders.
“Since 2020, we’ve invested around $23 million in addressing domestic violence throughout the region,” Hidalgo said. “That’s not just the Houston Area Women’s Center, but various organizations. Since 2022, (investments) were around speeding up the court backlog on domestic violence issues, helping build infrastructure, child care, mental health support for kids and families impacted by domestic violence. We have an ongoing commitment of $1.5 million dollars of flexible financial support to survivors of domestic violence.
The four-story facility includes 135 housing apartments, a 24-hour crisis response and assessment center, a Survivor Empowerment Hub offering financial literacy, behavioral health, legal services and mental health counseling for adults and children. Additional resources include a lactation room, teen rooms, child care services and classrooms for a Houston ISD elementary school program.
The Texas Council on Family Violence’s 2023 Honoring Texas Victims report states that over 50% of emergency shelter requests go unmet due to capacity issues. In Houston, one in four homicides in 2024 has been linked to intimate partner violence.
Pam Ellis, Director of Residential Client Services at HAWC, understands firsthand how important spaces like One Safe Place are for survivors. For 38 years, she has worked in prisons, homeless shelters and substance abuse facilities, all with the goal of helping survivors rebuild their lives. She recalls how food plays a crucial role in healing, noting that many survivors have experienced food insecurity as part of their trauma.
“Food brings people together. We want to create a sense of normalcy for survivors, no matter their background,” she said. “The facility will provide three daily meals and snacks, with menus tailored to different cultural diets.”
Ellis also envisions a resident-led committee to contribute to meal planning, reinforcing a sense of empowerment and community.
“When you’re in crisis, you need somewhere peaceful, somewhere safe,” Ellis said. “This facility is exactly that. I can imagine children here playing, mothers breathing easier and families rebuilding their lives.”
