Northern Harford County may seem like a very rural area, and not a hotbed of homelessness, but it is more of a problem than most people realize. When the last count was taken, in 2014, 233 people identified as homeless in Harford County, which included 106 adults and 87 children, according to the Harford County Department of Community Services.
There are even homeless students who attend schools on northern Harford County and other schools in the region, according to Harford County Pupil Personnel Worker, Dr. Heather Canepa-Bowlin.
These people, and others, are accommodated by several homeless shelters in the county. One of the most prominent shelters, and the only full-service emergency homeless shelter in the county, is the WelcomeOne shelter, located in the Riverside Business Park in Belcamp. It contains 33 beds: 27 for men, 6 for women.
It’s run by FCCAU (Faith Communities and Civic Agencies United), a charitable organization that is supported by churches, faith-based groups, local businesses, foundations and government agencies, according to their website, welcomeoneshelter.com. Welcome One also operates a Transitional and Supportive Housing Program with three units in Bel Air.
Another service done by FCCAU is maintaining a special fund to provide homeless individuals with emergency motel nights when beds are not available at Welcome One or other shelters in the county.
A more specialized shelter in the county is Anna’s House, which offers transitional and permanent housing for homeless women and their children in Harford County, focusing on those struggling with addiction, mental illness, and escaping from domestic violence. They provide the families with a safe environment to live in, counseling, career and life skills training, and employment assistance.
Though this, the women can regain their independence and sort out their difficulties. Among the facilities are an emergency shelter, transitional housing for families fleeing domestic violence, permanent supportive housing and re-housing.
A related center is the Homecoming Project, which is an eight bed, state certified half-way house for women recovering from alcohol and substance abuse. The Homecoming Project webpage states that their mission is to “provide women with a comprehensive, family-oriented program of recovery from homelessness and substance abuse in a supportive residential environment.”
The Project’s staff and certified addiction counselor assist residents in exiting poverty and addiction to rejoin their communities.
These shelters and other facilities that help with homeless people in regaining stability are proving to benefit the entire Harford County community in the process.