Seneca Heights Apartments

Seneca Heights Apartments is a unique housing complex for formerly homeless individuals and homeless families, whose development was spearheaded by the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless.

The Personal Living Quarters at Seneca Heights (SHAPLQ) provides permanent supportive housing to 40 formerly homeless single adults. SHAPLQ residents live independently while benefiting from on-site services that offer the opportunity to reclaim, acquire, or enhance their life skills.

The transitional housing at Seneca Heights (SHATH) provides housing for 17 families experiencing homelessness. SHATH combines intensive case management services with an autonomous living environment allowing families to develop and practice enhanced household competencies, work related, parenting, and other basic life skills.

Services/Facilities include:

• Intensive on-site case management
• Educational groups and workshops
• Recreational/social activities
• Tenant Council
• Fully furnished living units
• Phone and internet service
• Community space
• Outdoor recreational areas

SHA opened in the summer of 2004 after several years of advocacy to extend the zoning laws permitting Personal Living Quarters in Montgomery County. After the laws were extended representatives from MCCH, Housing Opportunities Commission, Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs, and Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services partnered together to renovate a former Econolodge in Gaithersburg. The development and operation of Seneca Heights Apartment is an important achievement in the Coalition’s local plan to end homelessness.