Maryland Department of Human Resources Section 126
§ 126.
(a) (1) The Secretary of Human Resources shall establish a program of crisis shelter homes for homeless women.
(2) At least 1 crisis shelter home shall be located in a major population center of this State in order to facilitate the use of the shelter by those clients living in the region surrounding the shelter.
(b) The purpose of the crisis shelter homes shall be to provide shelter, meals, and counseling to clients.
(c) Clients shall have cooperative responsibility for housekeeping duties in the shelter.
(d) The shelter homes shall be designed and staffed as follows:
(1) The shelter shall provide clients with a temporary residence of not more than 12 continuous weeks and necessary counseling to link clients to appropriate community services in order to stabilize the clients' living conditions.
(2) (i) The Department of Human Resources shall establish standards of care and admission policies.
(ii) The Department shall monitor the operation of the shelter homes and annually evaluate their effectiveness.
(3) The shelter homes are subject to rules and regulations promulgated by the Department of Human Resources and shall conform to applicable State and local fire codes, health codes, and all local zoning ordinances.
(4) The homes shall accept, from the police and other referral sources in the community, clients for temporary shelter.
(e) The Department of Human Resources may contract with private nonprofit organizations to operate the program.
(f) The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene shall give priority access, as appropriate, to women evaluated by the shelter homes to institutions under its supervision and shall supply appropriate mental health services.
(g) The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene shall not use shelter homes as part of its discharge service plan.
(h) Housing may not be provided under this subtitle to applicants for housing who are not residents of Maryland at the time application for housing is made.
