SALISBURY, Md. - The City of Salisbury has announced the completion of the Anne Street Village, its first transitional community for homeless residents. The Village is set to welcome its first residents in May.
Anne Street Village features 23 housing units, a wellness center, a personal hygiene facility, addictions counseling, and workforce development registration. Each unit includes a bed, HVAC units, a refrigerator, and will house one homeless resident.
“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.”
Residents of the Village are expected to collaborate with case managers to participate in a program to assist in the transition to permanent supportive housing. Daily living skills, savings and budgeting plans, and self-determined goals are all planned part of that program. Anne Street Village aims to transition homeless residents into permanent housing within a year.
“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.”
The City of Salisbury also announced the Anne Street Village Sponsorship Program to aid in funding the Village. The program is said to offer a range of donation opportunities with associated rewards, including on-site naming opportunities, private tours with Mayor Jack Heath, and others.
The official ribbon cutting for Anne Street Village will be held Friday, April 21 at noon. More information on the Village can be found at salisbury.md/annestreetvillage.
