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Hagerstown Area Religious Council

The Hagerstown Area Religious Council (HARC) is a coalition of churches and houses of faith in the Hagerstown area of Washington County.

Please help STOP DHCD Homeless Shelter Certification Bills

UPDATE 3/7/25 – email from the office of Delegate Todd B. Morgan:

The bill was supposed to be voted on Wednesday by committee but was not. It has been put on hold until next week.

The bill is a Department of Housing and Community Development bill. I recommend emailing and calling Secretary Jake Day’s office to let him know your concerns for the bill. The department can scale this back or make changes, but as of now they have been resistant. Delegate Todd Morgan has been trying to get it amended or stopped, but so far has not been successful.

Secretary Day –  jake.day@maryland.gov
301-429-7452

Please share the email and phone number to others who are opposed to the bill.

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The Homeless Coalition of Washington County and Reach have asked for the community’s help in stopping a Maryland state bill (cross-filed in House and Senate, so actually 2 bills).  The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has cross filed legislation to create a Homeless Shelter Licensing Program, using Maryland Law dictating shelter rules and policies. Our community needs your help to advocate to the Delegates and Senate to stop this legislation that would literally close 50-80 shelter beds in Washington County, and over 1,000+ shelter beds across the state! 

Here’s an updated request from Jeannie Asbury, Reach & Homeless Coalition, March 3, 2025:

Hello Friends,
We appreciate your support to advocate for shelters and the vulnerable people we serve across the state. The representatives from each jurisdiction need to hear the severity of giving blanket authority to DHCD. Please share this and help us stop this bill in the House and Senate. The 2nd readings will be in the next week or so, and we need to let them know to vote against this bill. In an effort to make it easier for our friends to advocate, we have a short letter template anyone can use or edit for additional or personalized points.
 
Please take a few minutes to send a quick e-mail to the chairs and vice chairs of each of the committees sponsoring the bills (see contact info below) sharing your concerns to not pass these bills and share with any networks in the other counties. The sooner in the process we advocate, the less likely it will make it through, and we’ve been told that “flooding” our legislators’ inboxes is the most effective way to advocate.
Sample SENATE/HOUSE Email:
 
Dear _____,
I am writing to ask you to NOT pass the Homeless Shelter Certification Bill SB0234/HB0093. While it may be well-intended, if passed this legislation will result in closing over 1,000+ shelter beds across the state!  With all of our county’s shelters full and many more people unhoused, we cannot afford to lose these vital resources.
Many shelters across the state are operated by houses of worship that give people hope, or that have safety guidelines in place for the vulnerable people in their shelters. The proposed legislation puts undue burden on these safe, well-run shelters to operate in ways against their beliefs or safety of residents, with threats of exorbitant fines that they can’t afford.
Please do not give blanket authority to one agency to dictate shelters across the state. 70% of the shelters in Maryland do NOT accept dollars from DHCD. This bill would give them authority over all shelters to force their guidelines for services. This bill is about control, not protecting the vulnerable. The study from last year’s bills began in July, yet they submitted this bill in October before they finished their review. We should consider the long-term impact of passing these bills. If this is about safely, why are they attempting to eliminate shelter practices in place to protect these vulnerable individuals? Why are they attempting to force family shelters to allow individuals with active criminal charges (except those with sex offense, what about domestic violence, B&E drug dealing, etc.?), actively using drugs or alcohol, or forcing men and women to share bathroom facilities? These bills would not allow them to operate with these crucial safety precautions in place that truly protect the vulnerable they serve.
People are not animals; people can CHOOSE to use a shelter or not. Animal shelters are regulated because the participants do not have a choice; they also euthanize violent participants. This bill would not even permit our shelters to bar violent participants for more than 30 days! How does that protect the other vulnerable shelter participants!?
Please do not pass this bill!
Thank you!
 
 
After reading this Phase 1 Report SB1107Ch152(2024)HB577Ch151(2024).pdf, I am also concerned these bills will take away our ability to conduct search or to bar (terminate) anyone for violating our safety rules. I hear the statement regarding vulnerable people and agree with most of the standards; however, the main concerns with this bill fall under the Admissions/Terminations section. This bill is to control the shelters operating because they could not incentivize with funding. They tried to control with funding, but only 30% of shelters in the state (as stated in their hearing presentation) accept their funding. So, now they are attempting to create a law to control all shelters in the state regardless of funding.
 
  • If this is about safely, why are they attempting to eliminate shelter practices in place to protect these vulnerable individuals? Why are they attempting to force family shelters to allow individuals with active criminal charges (except those with sex offense, what about domestic violence, B&E drug dealing, etc.), actively using drugs or alcohol, or forcing men and women to share bathroom facilities? These bills would not allow them to operate with these crucial safety precautions in place that truly protect the vulnerable they serve.
  • The Salvation Army requires identification due to the fact they serve women and children. This is to protect the children in case they are not with their legal guardians.
  • St. Johns does a background to ensure that they are not placing anyone with an active or recent criminal charge. This is for the protection of the children, and other shelter residents as their shelter units are individual apartment units, without paid staff.
  • The Salvation Army is for women and children only. This is due to the shared bathroom and shared room facilities of their shelter. It would not be appropriate or safe to have men in that facility. This bill states they cannot determine family status or composition.
  • None of our shelters allow shelter residents to use drugs in the shelter. Would this bill force all of us to allow that behavior?
  • The Rescue Mission/Hope Center believes they bring hope to people with a 7-minute service prior to meals and shelter. They feel any other services are secondary. They do not force joining their faith but provide 7-minute sermon. If this bill passes and they cannot do that part, they will not continue the shelter and instead focus on their faith-based services. All Rescue Missions across the state feel the same way.
  • If this bill passes, The Salvation Army, St. Johns Family Shelter and the Mission will close. Those are the 50-80 shelter beds in Washington County alone, over a 1,000 across the state.
  • The threat of a $10,000 fine will be concerning enough to deter the volunteer led, and faith-based shelters across the state. Again, if this is about safety, why not work directly with the municipalities of those concerning shelters?
  • Accessibility- What about shelters that are not accessible due to age or layout of the buildings?
  • Terminations- Phase 1 would force Reach and all shelters to continue to serve individuals who violate safety rules, which includes violence, threating behavior, using drugs in the shelter, etc. after 30 days? If this was the policy, we would lose MOST of our staff and volunteers. We cannot operate without either.

 

 

Season of Nonviolence and Peacemaking January 30 - April 4

The official Season for Nonviolence begins by marking the anniversary of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi on January 30 and ends on the April 4 anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Between are 64 days of practice of the principles of Gandhi, King, and others to bring about peace and nonviolence in our world today.

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