Construction could be finished half-way through next year.
Frederick, MD – The Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs in Frederick is making plans for their renovations of their new Family Emergency Shelter.
Executive Director of the Religious Coalition Nick Brown said they are planning renovations that would house 45-50 individuals, tripling the program’s current capacity.
Brown said the current family shelter system works as a “scattered site model” which has the family at a renovated house serving as a day site, and they move to one of 15 congregations in Frederick County for the evening.
“We knew that the scattered site model wasn’t going to be the final answer the minute we created it,” Brown said. “So we’ve always been looking for a parallel program, a permanent site all along the way, and thankfully we’ve at last come to that conclusion.”
Brown said the 9,000 square-foot property is currently inhabited by birds, groundhogs and a tree growing in one of the bedrooms.
“It definitely needs some work,” Brown said. “But we’ve got a good team aiming to do the renovations for us and I’ve got all the confidence that it’s going to be a great building when it’s done.”
The City of Frederick sold the historic farmhouse on Hayward Road to the non-profit for 1$.
Brow said the house was built back in the 1880s and was built with 2-foot-thick brick walls and plaster.
“That house is a tank,” Brown said. “… You could probably drop a bomb on that house and it’s not moving.”
The renovations will include basic housing amenities and would feature 10 large suites with bathrooms, a kitchen and a common area.
Brown said construction could start as early as June and could be completed about half-way through 2021.
More information on the organization can be found at https://www.thereligiouscoalition.org
By Timothy Young