The lobby at 4000 Southwestern Blvd. could pass for an ordinary business office, with desks, computers, ringing phones and a receptionist to greet visitors.

Only some house rules posted in the Arbutus building suggest the facility is a homeless shelter, with twice-weekly showers for the clients mandatory and room inspections daily.

"We try to keep structure and discipline," said Anthony Phillips, a volunteer monitor at Baltimore County's 24-hour westside homeless shelter for men.

Since Jan. 5, when the shelter opened at the YWCA-owned building, about 90 men per day have used the facility, according to shelter manager David Banks, of the Community Assistance Network.

Previously housed in trailers on campus at the state-owned Spring Grove Hospital Center, in Catonsville, the shelter setup had to move temporarily this year so the county could upgrade the Spring Grove site.

By chance, the Arbutus site was available.

Budget constraints had forced the YWCA of the Greater Baltimore Area to close its emergency shelter for women at the site last fall, said Vicki Sharif, chief executive officer for the Baltimore-based nonprofit.

The YWCA plans to renovate the building into permanent housing for chronically homeless, severely disabled women, but construction is not expected to begin until next summer at the earliest, Sharif said.

Through an agreement with the YWCA, the county is using the space rent-free until the Spring Grove project is completed, probably in April, Banks said.

Before relocating the westside men's shelter, the county cleaned and upgraded the YWCA site with new paint and various repairs to the walls, plumbing fixtures and appliances.

The site came equipped with a commercial kitchen, eight toilets and six showers.

Community Assistance Network staff and the shelter clients performed much of the work, Banks said.

In addition, the county bought enough bunk beds to sleep 64 men, as many as the building's six bedrooms can hold. The overflow clients sleep on mats in the dining room.

Banks added some finishing touches, including several signs posted throughout the building to inspire the clients -- "Stay focused," "Don't count the days, make the days count" and so forth.

The county's Office of Community Conservation oversees the westside shelter program, which the Dundalk-based Community Assistance Network operates through a contract with the county.

As of Jan. 29, workers had removed the shelter trailers at Spring Grove and erected a modular structure that, when finished, will include upgrades such as a commercial kitchen, nine toilets, nine showers and enough bunk beds to sleep 100 clients, according to Banks.

"You couldn't wish for nothing better," he said.

The trailer setup offered only three toilets and three showers, with clients sleeping on mats instead of in beds, he said.

Although he is sympathetic to the individual needs and challenges of the men he serves, Banks said he expects everyone to strive for a better life.

"I've been homeless myself," said the Washington, D.C., native, who moved to Baltimore 10 years ago after kicking a substance-abuse habit. "When I say, 'I know how you feel,' trust me.

"I know how you feel, or I have a good idea."

---

user comments (0)