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Selkie House

Selkie House  |  Akron, Ohio

A Place
to Begin Again

Selkie House is creating supportive, community-centered homes for women in the Akron area — a place to rebuild with stability, connection, purpose, and hope.

Selkie House is completing the applicable Ohio certification requirements and cannot accept referrals in the meantime.

  • Guided by Intuition
  • Grounded in Community
  • Renewed by Hope
Five women around a kitchen table, laughing together while one of them pours tea.

Our purpose

More Than a
Place to Live

Selkie House is being created to offer women a safe, inclusive environment centered on stability, meaningful community, hope, purpose, and growing independence.

Housing is where it starts, not where it ends. What we are building is a household — one where safety and dignity are assumed, where accountability is something shared rather than imposed, and where growth happens at the pace a person can actually sustain.

We believe meaningful change grows through stability, connection, responsibility, and hope.

Four women standing in a circle with their hands stacked together.

Grounded in community

Grounded in Community

Lasting change rarely happens in isolation. Selkie House is being built around the belief that women grow stronger when they are supported, respected, and connected.

The name

Returning
to Yourself

In folklore, a selkie is someone whose true self was taken and hidden away — and who, on finding it again, returns home.

Selkies are the embodiment of transformation, resilience, and the return to one’s authentic self. That is why the name stayed with us.

Healing is not about becoming someone else. It is about rediscovering the strength, identity, and hope that have always been yours. Selkie House takes its name from that idea, and is being built to make room for it.

Our approach

What We Are Building Toward

Five commitments shaping how Selkie House is being designed — from the house agreements to the way the kitchen is laid out.
  • Stability

    A consistent, predictable environment creates room for meaningful change.

  • Community

    Connection and belonging are not extras. They are how people hold on.

  • Dignity

    Every woman deserves to be seen and respected as a whole person.

  • Growth

    Progress develops through responsibility, confidence, and steady support.

  • Independence

    The goal is a stronger foundation for life beyond Selkie House.

Georgia Blueskies Reed, co-founder of Selkie House, sitting on a porch and looking into the middle distance.

Co-founder

Georgia Blueskies Reed

Selkie House began with a conviction that women rebuilding their lives deserve more than a place to sleep — they deserve a place to belong.

Georgia brings lived experience, compassion, and the belief that healing happens when every part of a person is seen, heard, and valued.

Transparency

Building Selkie House
the Right Way

Current status: In Development

We are developing the program, establishing policies and procedures, preparing the residence, building community relationships, and working through the applicable accreditation and certification requirements.

None of that is fast, and we would rather do it properly than quickly. This page will keep showing you where things actually stand.

Selkie House is currently in development and is working through the applicable Ohio recovery-housing accreditation and certification requirements. Selkie House is not able to accept referrals while certification is in progress.

  1. Completed

    Planning

  2. Underway

    Program Development

  3. Underway

    Accreditation Process

  4. Ahead

    Opening

  1. 01Completed

    Vision & Planning

    Defining what Selkie House is for, who it is being created to serve, and the values that will govern daily life inside it.

  2. 02Completed

    Organizational Development

    Establishing the organization itself — structure, governance, and the administrative foundation required to operate responsibly.

  3. 03Completed

    Property Preparation

    Identifying and preparing homes in the Akron area that can support shared living with comfort, privacy, and safety.

  4. 04In Progress

    Policies & Operating Model

    Writing the house agreements, resident expectations, and day-to-day operating practices that will guide the community.

  5. 05In Progress

    Accreditation & Certification Process

    Working through the applicable Ohio recovery-housing accreditation and certification requirements. Selkie House is not certified or accredited at this time.

  6. 06In Progress

    Community Partnerships

    Building relationships with organizations, employers, and advocates across Northeast Ohio who share our commitment to this work.

  7. 07In Progress

    Preparing to Open

    Furnishing the homes, finalizing staffing, and completing the readiness steps that come immediately before welcoming a first community.

  8. 08In Progress

    Welcoming the First Community

    Women are already living in Selkie House homes while the remaining steps are completed.

Interest list

Follow Our Journey

If you would like to receive updates about Selkie House as we move toward opening, join our interest list.

We use your information only to send Selkie House updates. We do not sell or share it, and you can ask us to remove you at any time. This is an interest list for updates only.

  • Guided by Intuition
  • Grounded in Community
  • Renewed by Hope