Safe house for women facing auction

Waterbury, Conn. (WTNH) - The women who live at Austin house say the home has been a saving grace and they worry about where they will go if the house is sold.

Donna Morin is one of those women. She is one of three women currently living at Austin House after leaving an abusive relationship.

"I don't know where I would go if I didn't have this place," Morin said

The house is a safe haven for women seeking refuge from issues like domestic violence, prostitution and drug addiction Camera Quebec bought the property in 2008 and says she's helped dozens of women get back on their feet.

But she's facing her own trouble: the real possibly of losing this house in a city auction.

"I am not running from my taxes I am paying for my taxes believe me," Quebec said.

She owes the city of Waterbury $12,000 in back taxes. The city says the house was set to be auctioned last year but gave the owner more time to make payment arrangements and settle the bill.

"The payments weren't coming in. They were still spotty but we had no alternative to begin the auction process," said Mary Nardini, the city tax collector.

That auction process began Thursday night at the city hall annex. Quebec says she's been juggling her bills and says she unknowingly got stuck with a $7,900 tax bill from the previous owner of the building.

"I do need help in support of this," Quebec said. "We are a non-profit organization."

"I do understand she is trying to do good by these women who are with her but at the end of the day my job is to collect taxes for the city of Waterbury so that the city can meet their own financial obligations," Nardini said.

The city says there are other places for women like Donna Morin to go but her hope is somehow the Austin House will be saved.

"And hopefully keep it open for us and for other women in the future to come here," Morin said.

Nobody registered to buy the Willow street house which means it will go on the list for the next city auction set for Sept. 23.

The tax collector's office said it has no knowledge of the Austin House filing as a non-profit organization.