Politics & Government
County, Volunteers of America Chesapeake Team Up with Plan for Homeless Center
The plan is to construct an approximately 30 unit housing complex to aid the homeless on a site the county purchased for $3.25 million.
Howard County Executive Ken Ulman announced Thursday a plan to build a 30-unit supportive housing facility and a new Day Resource Center on Guilford Road, near the intersection of Route 1 and Route 32.
The housing facility will be constructed and managed through a partnership with Volunteers of America Chesapeake, a state provider of services for the homeless, according to a statement distributed to the media.
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Howard County acquired about 8 acres for the center for $3.25 million, according to the statement.
The project is part of a 2010 plan to end homelessness that included replacing the current homeless resource center on Route 1, which is across the street from the proposed new location.
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"We are taking important steps to implement the Plan to End Homelessness and this project is one of the most significant," said Ulman, in a statement. "Howard County is not immune from these challenges and we can work together to make a difference for these individuals and our community."
Tom Carbo, the director of Howard County Housing and Community Development, said there are currently more than 200 homeless persons in the county.
"Many of these individuals are employed but are unable to find affordable housing," said Carbo.
The development of the site coincides with the decision by the county not to pursue the development of the Beechcrest mobile home Park in North Laurel, after the mobile home community protested plans to build a center there.
In the statement, the county said it is working to relocate residents of the mobile home park as the units there "remain in substandard condition." The process of relocating the residents has been extended over a two-year period, according to the county.
Tom Coale, a local advocate for the homeless (as well as Columbia Association board member), wrote on his blog HoCo Rising, "This is big. This is also a huge improvement from the Beechcrest proposal, which brought with it community angst and unworkable logistics."
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