New Project Helps Homeless Persons Once Living on the Street

For the past ten years, an ordinary apartment building in downtown Bethesda has been the site of a model Permanent Supportive Housing program, providing homes some of the area's most vulnerable homeless individuals, many of whom had been living on the streets for years.  

The building offers 32 individual furnished apartment units, each with a half-bath. On each floor, and shared by 8 residents, there are shower rooms and a common full size kitchen. 

Secure access, a concierge, on-site case management staff and other services complete t he well-managed property run by the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless . But after 10 years of operation, improvements are needed in the building's four large kitchens.

A few months ago, HBCF Past-President Mike Karns of Winchester Homes helped size up the project needs. Taking the volunteer opportunity back to his company, the local Winchester team decided to take it on and pay it forward. They reached out to their suppliers and subcontractors and lined up needed assistance.

Today, they stand ready to begin as COVID-19 restrictions are gradually being lifted. As with all HBCF projects, the safety and well-being of the vulnerable persons who live and received care at our project sites matter tremendously. The project begins soon.

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