Meeting the Growing Need

The need is urgent and growing. Last year the Light House turned away nearly 750 people because we had no room.

With just 18 beds and two family apartments, our capacity cannot keep pace with the need. With the lack of affordable housing in our community, homelessness is expected to grow. The need for a new facility is critical - not only to help a greater number of homeless people, but also to provide greater support for those we assist.

In July 2007, our sponsoring organization, Annapolis Area Ministries, Inc., purchased 1.4 acres of property on Hudson Street in the City of Annapolis and the adjacent Willow Street in the County. This prime location, just one block off West Street at the intersection of Route 50 and Route 2, provides easy access to transportation, health care, employment and government services.

The new center will be “green” built to LEED Silver certification standards (United States Green Building Council) with an energy-saving geothermal heating/cooling system. It is being designed by Cho Benn Holback & Associates, Inc., a Maryland architectural firm with expertise in sustainable building techniques. David Avedesian and John Bruno of Annapolis Developers are the Light House owner representatives managing the design and construction of our new center. They are graciously donating 100% of their services.

When the Light House Homeless Prevention Support Center opens in October 2010 it will house three facilities:

Emergency Living Shelter for men, women, and families;
Homeless Prevention and Support Center for education, employment training, and counseling services; and
Day Center for the chronically homeless.

The new center will allow the Light House to expand our staff to serve an estimated 1,500 people per year and provide more programs for homeless people, including financial literacy workshops, job training, legal counseling, and employment referrals. A larger facility will enable the Light House to offer a new beginning to the hundreds of people who fall into homelessness in our community each year.

To learn more about the new Light House Shelter please select one of the links below: