Salisbury, MD – The City of Salisbury is proud to announce the completion of Anne Street Village, the City’s first transitional housing community for homeless residents. Anne Street Village, located in Salisbury’s historic Church Street neighborhood, will welcome its first group of residents in May 2023.
Anne Street Village features 23 units, a central personal hygiene facility, and wellness center, which will provide wraparound services to all residents including mental and physical healthcare, addictions counseling, and workforce development registration. Each unit will house one of Salisbury’s homeless residents, and includes a bed, HVAC units, refrigerator, and a standard set of additional amenities to make each resident feel at home.
“Anne Street Village is an incredible resource for Salisbury’s unsheltered community. This opportunity will provide each resident with newfound independence, comfort and care, and safety and stability, whether that’s through consistent healthcare or something as simple as checking a mailbox every day,” said housing and homeless services manager Brett Sanders. “Anne Street Village is going to change and save lives.”
In collaboration with case managers, each resident will participate in a three-tiered program to facilitate the transition into permanent supportive housing through the City’s Housing First program. Residents will work with their case manager to develop daily living skills, savings and budgeting plans, and self-determined SMART Goals in preparation for obtaining permanent housing. The goal of Anne Street Village is to transition residents into permanent supportive housing by month 12, whenever possible. This time includes an initial acclimation period of up to 60 days.
Rehousing an individual into permanent supportive housing averages around $3,500, including first month’s rent and security deposit, furniture, home goods, and groceries.
“Salisbury is the smallest city in America with a permanent supportive housing (PSH) program, and we’re very proud of that achievement,” said Director of Housing and Community Development Ron Strickler. “Since 2016, we’ve maintained anywhere from 9 to 15 permanent supportive housing households. In 2023, we’ve set the goal of increasing our program capacity by 20 percent, as nationwide, the average cost of a rental in most municipalities has increased dramatically. Anne Street Village will be an invaluable component of this lifelong commitment to our homeless residents.”
To help fund operations of Anne Street Village, the City of Salisbury is excited to announce the Anne Street Village Sponsorship Program, in partnership with the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore. The tiered program offers a range of donation opportunities from Pewter to Platinum with associated rewards, including on-site naming opportunities, private tours with Mayor Jack Heath and our Housing First team, and more.
“Anne Street Village is a much needed resource for our chronically homeless in Salisbury and will be a beacon of hope for years to come,” said Mayor Jack Heath. “I have no doubt that Salisbury will wrap their arms around this place and these people, and I can’t wait to watch as Anne Street Village grows into a vibrant, thriving part of Salisbury. Thank you to our Department of Housing and Community Development for their tireless service to our City’s unsheltered population.”
All donations are appreciated and accepted to aid in operations and future upgrades to Anne Street Village. To learn more about Anne Street Village and the sponsorship program, visit salisbury.md/annestreetvillage.
The official ribbon cutting for Anne Street Village will be held Friday, April 21 at 12:00 pm. All members of the community are encouraged to attend. Parking will be available in the parking lot of Grace Church, located at the corner of East Church St. and Anne St.
