Maryland panel weighs creating first statewide homeless-shelter certification and minimum-standards program

The House Environment and Transportation Committee heard testimony on House Bill 93 on shelter certification, a proposal that would require Maryland to set minimum operating standards and a certification process for homeless shelters statewide.

The bill was presented by Jake Day, secretary of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, who said the department is proposing “a first homeless shelter certification process and minimum standards, [and] a regulatory framework to ensure safe, equitable, and trauma‑informed care.” He added that “every year in Maryland, over 25,000 Marylanders will experience homelessness and sleep in a shelter or outside in the elements.”

The measure’s supporters said state oversight is necessary because shelter practices now vary with funding sources and local policies. Secretary Lourdes Roque of the Maryland Department of Aging told the committee older adults are a growing share of those using shelters: “Between fiscal ’18 and fiscal ’23, Maryland experienced a 77% increase in homelessness of older adults over the age of 65,” she said, arguing that accessibility, staffing and training are especially important for that population.

Assistant Secretary Danielle Meister, who led the statutory study the bill builds on, described a two‑phase process of stakeholder consultation that produced a proposed tiered certification and substantial technical assistance: “We would provide free virtual on demand trainings … template policies and procedures for shelters to be able to use and adapt for their own use to go through the certification process.” Meister said the report recommends different standards for different shelter types, including separate guidance for cold‑weather or hypothermia shelters.

Advocates with lived experience testified in favor. Ebony Battle of Housing Our Neighbors, a Baltimore group made up of people with lived experience of homelessness, described outreach work and clients who “were put on the streets for medically unavoidable or trivial reasons,” citing examples such as eviction for minor housekeeping concerns or denial of admission for family composition. “Housing is dignity, health care, and a human right,” Battle told the panel.

Mark Council of Housing Our Neighbors said some unsheltered people decline shelter because they consider it less safe than sleeping outside. Several witnesses recounted personal accounts of people who froze or died after being denied shelter. The Public Justice Center and Maryland Legal Aid also testified in favor.

Religious and mission providers said they support safe shelters but warned the bill as drafted could impose operational burdens or conflict with religious practice. Daniel Stalsfus, CEO of Helping Up Mission, said his organization is a recovery community that does some overnight housing and that a broad, low‑barrier requirement “would force us to become a low barrier housing first provider” and could “lead to a significant contraction of shelter beds.” Pastor George Jones of the Baltimore Rescue Mission said his organization declines government funding for religious reasons and worried state rules could conflict with religious practices.

Committee members pressed DHCD about safeguards for small volunteer or faith‑run cold‑weather programs. Day pointed to the tiered classification and the 12‑month compliance window in the bill’s proposed amendments, and Meister emphasized the plan to tailor standards and to avoid imposing service minimums that funding does not support.

No formal vote was taken in the hearing; committee members asked for additional drafts and stakeholder work. Department staff and several witnesses said they expect further amendments to address county emergency managers and Continuums of Care and to clarify how the rules would apply to volunteer cold‑weather efforts.

The committee also heard many personal accounts and asked DHCD to provide further details on implementation timelines, enforcement, and how certification would interact with existing county or federal funding rules.