Fighting for Safer Conditions in Maryland’s Homeless Shelters
Postcard supporting HB93 developed by HON
HON members attend HB93 bill hearing on February 4, 2025, where several provided oral testimony
Unsafe and inhumane conditions in Maryland’s emergency shelters present a public health and humanitarian crisis.
Many Housing Our Neighbors (HON) members who have spent time in homeless shelters have spoken about unacceptable conditions such as lack of running hot water, lack of proper heating and insulation, moldy bathrooms, bedbugs and lice, substandard food, and inadequate accommodations for residents with disabilities. Members have reported being treated cruelly by shelter staff, suffering termination from shelters for minor infractions such as having too many items of clothing, and having no due process or grievance procedure. Physical violence is not uncommon, particularly for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Many people experiencing homelessness prefer to sleep outside rather than utilize the shelter systems because the treatment and conditions are so poor. All human beings deserve basic dignity and respect, which many shelters fail to provide.
Under current law, homeless shelters in Maryland are not required to follow any minimum health or safety standards. To address this critical need, HON launched a campaign earlier this year to support SB234/HB93, a bill in the Maryland General Assembly that would have created a certification program for Maryland’s homeless shelters.
The bill, requested by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), would have established: (1) a shelter resident bill of rights; (2) a minimum standard for shelters to ensure the protection of those rights; and (3) a grievance process for shelter residents whose rights are being violated within the shelter system.
An amended version of this bill was passed during the 2024 session, which called for a study of current shelter conditions and the development of recommendations for how a shelter licensing/certification program could be established in the state. This year, the bill was introduced again and was heard in both the House Environment and Transportation Committee and the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee. The bill passed the subcommittee vote in the House. However, it was never brought to a vote by the full committee, so it did not make it across the finish line this year.
Even though HON is disappointed in this outcome, we are celebrating some significant accomplishments. This was the first time HON developed and executed a state policy campaign. We developed model testimony, created and printed postcards for advocates to fill out and send to their legislators, and mobilized our network in the following ways:
Empowered 8 HON members to provide written and/or oral testimony in favor of the bill
Sent a group of 9+ advocates to Annapolis on February 4 for the HB93 bill hearing
Sent 200+ postcards to key legislators
Hosted two phone banking power hours, which resulted in dozens of people calling their legislators about the issue
Built solidarity with local organizations, including the Department of Housing and Community Development
Educated over 10,000 people about the issue on social media
HON members filling out post cards to send to legislators
HON members posing with postcards for legislators at the end of a monthly meeting
Moving forward, we will take our lessons learned from this campaign and continue to fight for safer and more humane homeless shelters in our state. We will continue to build our base and expose the realities of shelter conditions across the state in preparation for next year’s legislative session, which begins in January 2026. In the meantime, we will also explore local legislation and pursue action here in Baltimore. We appreciate the hard work of HON members and allies during this campaign.
As HON continues to expand our advocacy efforts, we invite more members to join our community. If you’re passionate about housing advocacy, join us! Ways to get involved: Come to our monthly meetings on the 4th Saturday of each month, become a member, join one of our committees, follow us on social media, share our posts, and donate. Onward!
Campaign Highlights