Lower Shore Shelter invites public to open house

The Somerset County Committee for the Homeless, Inc. invites the community to an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony for the Lower Shore Shelter, a 16-bed homeless shelter opening this fall in Princess Anne, Md. The open house will be held at Lower Shore Shelter located at 12518 Somerset Ave. on Wednesday, Sept. 27 from 3 to 6 p.m., with a brief ceremony and ribbon cutting at 4 p.m. Committee members will provide tours of the shelter and light refreshments will be available.

“After several years of planning and hard work, we are preparing to open the doors of the Lower Shore Shelter. We invite the community to visit and learn more about this resource that is desperately needed to serve homeless individuals and families in Somerset and surrounding communities,” James Porter, committee chairman, said.

Porter said construction of the shelter would not have been possible without the strong support of the Somerset County Commissioners, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, visionary donors, and dedicated volunteers. Somerset County is currently the only county in Maryland that does not have a homeless shelter.

“When our community members are most in need of support, we have to send them to shelters in our neighboring counties. We appreciate all those shelters have done to support our residents,” Porter said. “With the opening of the Lower Shore Shelter, we will be able to provide shelter not just for our residents, but for folks from across the Lower Shore who need a safe, secure, and stable place to stay while they are in transition.”

The number of individuals who were homeless in Somerset County between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017 more than doubled from the previous year. In fiscal year 2017, 50 individuals in Somerset County were homeless and accessed rapid rehousing homeless services, as compared to just 22 people in fiscal year 2016. This does not include Somerset County residents who were served in shelters in either Worcester or Wicomico counties.

The Lower Shore Shelter will be open 24 hours a day to support this underserved homeless population. An onsite director will manage the shelter, with the assistance of a team of volunteers. The shelter plans to offer case management to connect those staying at the facility to supportive resources in the community that help the homeless access housing and other vital services.

For more information about the open house and ribbon cutting or how to support the Lower Shore Shelter, contact Brandi Horner at 410-677-4337 or brandi.horner @maryland.gov.