Queen Anne’s County Homeless Shelter

The proposed Queen Anne’s County homeless shelter is a two-story, 8,500 SF facility that lodges both daily and transitional occupants. The current shelter is a small house on the site, the foundation of which is used for a portion of the new shelter. The lower floor functions as the transient lodging and day-to-day processing of homeless citizens who are simply seeking shelter for the night. The processing and administration area act as a filter to building entrants, providing a level of safety and cleanliness with commercial-grade washer/dryers and anti-microbial surfaces. The entrants are then able to eat in the large meeting room serviced by a full kitchen with dual ranges and lockable food pantries. Large bunkrooms with bunk beds allow a warm and restful night’s sleep, and the ample toilet facilities allow private showers and water closets.

The second floor houses transitional citizens who are homeless, but have a job and are working toward independence. The private sleeping rooms are large enough that mothers with small children who have more private needs can have a space to relax and feel safe. There is a smaller kitchen and meeting room to serve the second floor, as well as the same ample toilet facilities as the first floor. The goal was to create a place that met the needs of the homeless population of Queen Anne’s County but provided those same people and families with a place that felt like a home.