Women's Housing Coalition

Founded in 1979, the Women’s Housing Coalition (WHC) has been at the forefront in the development of housing options and services to low-income and homeless women. It opened the first Transitional Housing Program (THP) for women in Baltimore City in 1982 and has been providing comprehensive counseling and case-management services to the homeless and low-income women in its THP program for more than 20 years. Seventy-five percent of the women who have participated in this program have successfully completed it, and have returned to independent living in the community.

In 1990, WHC opened the Calverton, Maryland’s first Single Room Occupancy (SRO) apartments for women. Since 1996, the WHC has provided supportive services and administered Shelter Plus Care rental assistance to 25 low-income, formerly homeless women and families living in scattered site apartments throughout Baltimore City. In 2000, WHC opened its second SRO apartments for women – the Bennett House. In 2003, the WHC began the operation of the Susanna Wesley House, a permanent housing program for homeless families that serves nine families. The Abell Foundation has provided grants totaling $60,000 for case management and supportive services for WHC’s clients.

The WHC acquired a new facility in 2007, the old convent for the Sisters of the St. Francis of Assisi Order, located at 2226 Maryland Avenue. This facility, re-named the Jenkins House, has been renovated to include 22 SRO units for women. It is anticipated that 70 percent of the residents will be referred from emergency shelters, 20 percent from transitional housing, and 10 percent from the streets or over-crowded housing of friends or family. The Abell Foundation provided a grant of $50,027 to complete the necessary funding for this project.

Access the website for the Women's Housing Coalition.