The drive to build Becky’s House II is on. The original Becky’s House — 10 units and full on the day it opened, January 2001 — meets but a small slice of the need for transitional housing for women escaping violence at home.

Judy Case DiPasquale, YWCA executive director, estimates it will cost $1 million to build a second Becky’s House, this time with 15 units.

“We already have the land,” she explains, “and we will use essentially the same design. We’re also hoping the city will help out by streamlining the permit process.”

Longtime Becky’s House benefactor STAR 100.7-FM already is on board for the campaign, reports Tracy Johnson, station manager and vice-president. “We see no time limit to our commitment to Becky’s House,” he says.

Profits from STAR’s annual Jingle Ball in December already fund the $85,000 it takes to keep the Becky’s House doors open, says Case DiPasquale. To her knowledge, no other media organization anywhere in the United States has taken on the duty for hard-to-raise operating funds for a social service agency. Architect Tim Golba is already knee-deep in the rezoning and city permitting process for a Becky’s House II, and Doug Barnhart confirms his construction company’s willingness to pitch in again.

“We haven’t been approached directly yet,” Barnhart says. “But Becky’s House was a very fulfilling project for us. And from that perspective we’d like to get involved.”

Case DiPasquale says she’d love to have Barnhart Construction on board for the Becky’s House II project. “We had a wonderful relationship with Barnhart. They contributed a great deal, including obtaining lower bids from their subcontractors. Plus, Doug and his people know the design for Becky’s House.”

Barbara Warden, Becky’s House’s original angel, is no longer on the City Council and thus no longer controls the kind of cash needed to bankroll such a project. But Case DiPasquale believes the new project will be a strong applicant for funding through Proposition 46, a $2.1 billion bond adopted by California voters in November 2002 to build housing for exactly the kind of women and children sheltered at Becky’s House.

“It will be a competitive process to receive those funds,” she notes, “but we are optimistic.”

That the YWCA already owns the land, plus the support of Councilman Michael Zucchet, who represents the area, will mean a lot in the funding process, she says.

As for a Plan B in case bond funding doesn’t work out, Case DiPasquale says there isn’t one. “We’ll turn to fund raising and perhaps a conventional loan, but we’re not counting on having to do this.”

It is architect Golba’s goal to have enough of the rezoning and permitting process done in time to break ground when STAR’s annual Jingle Ball rolls around in early December. “It is a huge opportunity for marketing and visibility,” he notes, adding that he anticipates less than a year in construction.

Which means that 15 more families will celebrate a peaceful holiday season in 2004.