Episcopal Housing Corporation

Episcopal Housing Corporation is a charitable housing corporation located in Baltimore, Maryland.

History and vision

Founded in 1995 in Baltimore, Maryland and fulfilling the vision of Sarah Eastman and Epiphany Church of Dulaney Valley to see the church engaged in low income housing ministries, Episcopal Housing Corporation (EHC) moved swiftly to establish critical alliances and initiate projects.

The fabric of community is woven from many kinds of threads: individuals, families, institutions, economic and social realities and the environment all bring their own color and character to the finished whole.

Episcopal Housing Corporation has felt its call to turn attention to places where the fabric may be weakened and in danger of unraveling and yet where there is still much beauty, strength and energy within the community itself.

EHC develops safe, decent and affordable housing for families with very low incomes and those who have recently overcome substance abuse addiction. It also works to develop facilities such as Head Start centers and job training centers that affect entire communities. The partnerships are with faith communities both of their communion and others, and with many other groups and agencies who share their goals.

Working in Baltimore’s most challenging neighborhoods requires an investment of vision and staff time. Thanks to support from foundations, individuals, and investments from state, local, and national government agencies, EHC is able to pursue a wide range of projects benefiting those most in need.

EHC has worked in partnerships to develop 16 projects ranging from single unit homes to transitional housing to handle up to 12 units and multi unit projects. They have worked to renovate and rebuild old home into new affordable housing and also build new housing on empty property.

Mission Statement

The Episcopal Housing Corporation mission is to respond to God’s call to establish justice for those most in need by building affordable housing and creating the foundations for healthy and sustainable communities.

Dan McCarthy – Executive Director:Daniel McCarthy has served as the executive director of the Episcopal Housing Corporation since 1996. EHC’s mission is three fold: to be a technical resource to Episcopal parishes and other organizations wishing to pursue a housing ministry, to employ excess Diocese of Maryland and other donated land for affordable housing and community development projects, and to engage in comprehensive faith based community development projects with groups committed to improving their neighborhoods.

:Mr. McCarthy has been employed in the field of housing and community development for more than ten years. He entered the field of community development after completing a Master of Arts program at the University of Maryland in Urban Studies with a focus on affordable housing finance and development.

:After graduating from the University of Rhode Island, Mr. McCarthy began his professional career with the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington D.C. working as an economist. Mr. McCarthy began his career in affordable housing development with the Community Building Group of Baltimore where his primary responsibilities were construction management and sale of properties to first time home buyers in Baltimore and Prince George’s County.

Shannon Snow – Projects Manager

:Shannon Snow joined Episcopal Housing Corporation in August 2007 and brings over 10 years of experience in the affordable housing and community development fields. Her background includes grants management, homeownership education, coordination of property rehabilitation loans for low-income homeowners, and originating and processing mortgage loans for first-time homebuyers.

Besides the development of affordable housing, Episcopal Housing has also 'adopted' two communities in Baltimore, Remington and Collington Square. They work within the two areas with a Community Builder who oversees what the neighborhood needs.

In Collington Square they have been sponsoring a recovery program for men that have recently become 'clean'. This includes working with the men to support themselves and become involved in neighborhood events. In Remington their focus is the children and seniors. There are educational workshops for new home buyers and to assist renters in the neighborhood to buy and own their homes.

MICA summer art camp and the Back to School Book Bag giveaway are just two of the child related events. The MICA art camp is a program set up so that MICA students can work with the children on various project aimed to explore their imagination and encourage creativity and growth.

[http://www.ang-md.org. The Diocese of Maryland]

[http://www.griaonline.org Greater Remington Improvement Association]

EHC Current Projects

Episcopal Housing Corporation works on several projects at once.

EHC has joined with "I Can't We Can" to develop the Parktown Apartments in the Park Heights neighborhood of northwest Baltimore. The Parktown Apartments project is the acquisition and substantial rehabilitation of a three-story garden apartment building containing a total of 48 apartments. The project entails the total renovation of the interior and exterior of the building and the construction of a new management office and community meeting space.

Once completed the Parktown Apartments will provide decent, affordable, and drug free housing to those who have graduated from I Can't We Can's substance abuse recovery program and others in the community seeking safe housing.

There are several other projects that EHC has been working on in the Baltimore area. Another can be found in the Collington Square neighborhood.

The Collington Square Oxford House currently underway. It is the renovation of three vacant, adjacent row houses into a single dwelling which will provide permanent housing for men in substance abuse recovery. The three properties will be consolidated and converted into a handicap accessible, seven-bedroom, two-bathroom dwelling.

There are four Oxford Houses now in Baltimore. It offers men a stable and permanent housing, with the necessary support services to assist in their substance abuse recovery. The Oxford House offers a unique recovery house model because it is a democratically self-run recovery home. The three main principles of the Oxford House are: (1) the house must be democratically self-run; (2) the house membership is responsible for all household expenses; and (3) the house must immediately expel any member who uses alcohol or drugs.

The Susanna Wesley House (SWH), a volunteer-run organization, is engaged in a partnership with the Women’s Housing Coalition to provide service-enhanced housing to formerly homeless women and their children at 609 Park Avenue in Baltimore’s Mt. Vernon neighborhood. For the past four years, 609 Park Avenue has operated as a home with nine living units. Common areas include a parlor, sitting room, children’s resource room, and a well equipped playground. The units are always occupied and there is a waiting list.

EHC and SWH have formed a partnership to expand the service-enriched housing into 607 Park Avenue, which adjoins 609 Park Avenue, to meet the need for affordable, supportive housing aimed at women and their young children.