PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Citing misinformation, County Commissioner Earl F. Hance started Tuesday’s meeting by clearing the record on a property located at 85 Main Street, Prince Frederick.
Hance said the property will serve as a homeless day program and emergency shelter. He went on to say that the county received an $800,000 community block grant in 2023. Of that, just over $625,000 was used to purchase the property at 85 Main Street. Community Resources applied for additional funding and received a $574,318 award from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.
Grant funding totals just over $1.7 million. The remaining funds are going to be used for design and construction. The county is working with architecture firm Zavos Architecture and will then bid out construction work.
Hance added that the county is closely monitored by the state and follows all federal grant rules.
The “misinformation” was not evident online, though it’s possible residents thought the funds were “missing” due to the gap between the cost of purchasing the 85 Main Street property and the grants received.
In 2024, the county bought the neighboring property at 87 Main Street and claimed they had plans to provide assistance to the homeless through a layered approach; 85 Main would be a shelter, while 87 would be a “transit hub,” noting the importance of providing services in a location easily accessible by public transport.
At the time, Community Resources Director Jennifer Moreland emphasized the importance of providing services at a centralized location rather than at various locations that would force people in need to travel significant distances and miss appointments.
After the meeting, the county posted the following statement to its Facebook page, mirroring Hance’s comments:
85 Main Street Project: The Facts
- The project will provide a homeless day program and emergency shelter.
- In 2023, Calvert County received an $800,000 Community Development Block Grant. Just over $625,000 was used to purchase the property at 85 Main St. Community Resources then applied for additional funding.
- In 2024, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development awarded another $574,318.
- Combined, grant funding totals just over $1.37 million. All remaining funds are dedicated to design and construction.
- The county is working with Zavos Architecture, a firm new to working with the county, on project design.
- Once design is finalized, construction work will be bid out. A public hearing will then be held to share the construction schedule with the community.
- Calvert County Government is fully compliant with federal grant rules. Its work is monitored by the state, and all spending is reviewed to ensure accountability and proper use of funds.
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