Maryland Safe Haven opens new housing facility, hub to support LGBTQ+ community

Maryland Safe Haven is launching a new housing facility and community hub this week that supports members of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

WJZ toured the new building ahead of their grand opening on Friday. 

"We are meeting the community where they are by providing shelter, safety, and community," said Melissa Devereaux, the executive assistant at Maryland Safe Haven.

What does the Safe Haven housing facility offer?

Safe Haven acquired the former MICA dormitory on Collington Avenue in December 2024. 

The 12 residential units will offer temporary and permanent housing for members of the LGBTQ+ community in need of support.

"I was going from house to house to house and feeling like no one really cared," Courtney Wilson said.

The 28-year-old client turned volunteer, told WJZ that Safe Haven's housing and wraparound services are giving her a fresh start and a sense of community.

"It makes me feel relieved," Wilson said. "I feel like I can motivate myself and keep pushing."

The building's community hub will offer services, including medical, mental health care, and workforce development.

"We couldn't have asked for a better space because it accommodates all of our needs," said Renee Lau, the special projects coordinator.

Lau said she's excited to share the space with the city at the grand opening on Friday, June 13, at 1 p.m. 

"We'll be doing a tour of the facility, we'll be doing a demonstration of all of our programs," Lau said. "We will be here for this community."

Ringing in a new era

Devereaux and other leaders of Maryland Safe Haven said the Senator Mary Washington building and Jeanette Weinberg community hub mark a new era for the organization.

"We will be able to extend our services astronomically, because we actually have a space that will be open 24/7," Devereaux said. 

For more information, visit the Safe Haven website here.