40-Bed Shelter for Women to Open Its Doors Monday

What will be Orange County’s largest shelter for victims of domestic violence is nearly complete.

The address of the 40-bed Irvine shelter is a closely guarded secret, officials said, to protect the fastest-growing segment of the county’s homeless population: women and children.

“These houses have to remain anonymous for their safety,” said Julie Brinkerhoff-Jacobs, vice president of fund-raising for HomeAid Orange County.

“Most of the women are the victims of domestic abuse. If it’s not domestic violence, it’s job loss.”

Twelve women are expected to move into the Irvine shelter on Monday.

They will be allowed to stay as long as six weeks and have access to counseling and child-care services.

HomeAid, founded in 1989 by the Building Industry Assn., raised $1 million in donations of materials, labor and consulting services for construction of the 13,000-square-foot shelter.

The organization has helped construct 24 shelters in Orange County.

“I thought I was going to be here three weeks, and it turned out to be three months,” said Richard Chavez, a landscape and irrigation contractor who was one of many building industry professionals donating time and materials to the project. “It’s been fun.”

Another $300,000 was raised by HomeAid and Human Options, a 14-year-old nonprofit organization that will run the shelter.

Human Options also operates a shelter in South Orange County. The land was donated by the Irvine Co.

Because of increasing numbers of domestic abuse victims nationwide, HomeAid is expanding to other states in conjunction with the National Assn. of Homebuilders, the parent organization of the Building Industry Assn., Brinkerhoff-Jacobs said.

The first out-of-state shelter is planned for Chicago, she said.