Faster, Kinder, Smarter: A new emergency housing facility offers year-round care

By Emma Hertz 

On a warm morning this past June, residents and elected leaders gathered in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. It was a familiar scene: white hard hats, shovels in hand, and an untouched plot of land behind them ready for construction. However, this groundbreaking was unlike the typical photo-ops we see splashed on a newspaper’s front page. 

This is the site of Pottstown’s new year-round emergency housing facility for unhoused residents — a first-of-its-kind project that combines the speed of prefabricated construction with a trauma-informed design philosophy rooted in community care. When it opens its doors later this year, it will mark a turning point in local efforts to provide humane, year-round emergency housing. 

A Rising Need 

Homelessness rose 18 percent nationally from 2023 to 20241 due to the shortage of affordable housing, rising rents and stagnating wages, and lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Pottstown, a borough encompassing five square miles outside Philadelphia, an estimated 300 individuals are experiencing homelessness year-round, according to county officials2.  

Local nonprofit Pottstown Beacon of Hope has been meeting the needs of people experiencing homelessness in the community since 2020 under their mission of “hope, love, and grace.” In 2022, they began the process of purchasing 2.5 acres of land on which to build their permanent emergency housing site. 

“This building will be more than a ‘shelter,’ more than a ‘center,’” says Executive Director Tom Niahos. “I envision this building to be a home — alive with community, anchored by deep relationships, and the catalyst for growth the guests we serve are longing for.” 

A Sense of Urgency 

Prefabrication, a building process often associated with schools, field hospitals, and post-disaster housing, has been reimagined here as a permanent, high-quality facility. 

For Beacon of Hope, the prefab model provides the space and design to customize and fit their needs, while remaining much more affordable than traditional construction. The building is fabricated off-site and bolts together quickly, so site work and foundation can run in parallel with fabrication. A pre-engineered building can go from a poured foundation to usable structure within a few months. One vendor provides the set of construction documents, which reduces change orders and coordination risk. 

Additionally, the design can adapt to the organization’s evolving needs. “The long interior spans and open layout of a pre-engineered building really allow us to lay the interior out in the best way we see fit,” says Niarhos.  

Finally, prefab buildings are low maintenance, and expanding or adding to the building in the future is much simpler. As homelessness continues to rise, this flexibility will serve the community’s needs for years to come. 

Architecture That Heals 

Construction speed was only half the story. Beacon of Hope’s staff worked to ensure the building would embody principles of trauma-informed care. 

Their service model, which utilizes a close-knit network of over 800 volunteers, has placed the value of community members caring for each other at the center of their work. This building is an example of “the community helping the community,” shares Board President Mark Boorse. 

As they began designing the physical structure for the emergency shelter, integrating this philosophy into the architectural design was essential. 

“Light, sound, flow, and durability directly affect safety and healing,” explains Niarhos. “We need trauma-informed, flexible, easy-to-operate spaces that our neighbors are proud to enter.” 

To that end, the shelter’s design emphasizes light, safety, and autonomy. The forty-five sleeping areas are private, giving residents a sense of personal space without isolation. Common areas are designed for both connection and quiet reflection. Even the entry sequence is designed intentionally — secure, but welcoming. 

These details are not aesthetic luxuries. They are key to helping people feel safe enough to begin the next step in their lives. 

Year-Round Stability 

Until now, Pottstown’s only emergency housing option has been a winter shelter. Local churches provide space for overnight beds, and a cohort of committed volunteers provide on-site supervision and support for residents. However, during the cold winter days, individuals cycle between encampments, emergency rooms, or friends’ couches. Come spring, those overnight spaces are no longer available, and residents are left without formal shelter for three-quarters of the year. 

Despite the lack of permanent facilities, Beacon of Hope has built a strong network of relationships with other service providers to coordinate care and address the complex medical needs of many people experiencing homelessness. Case managers spend up to 25 hours a week providing one-on-one services. They work closely with local nonprofits such as Montgomery County Street Medicine, Access Services, Creative Health Services, and Community Health and Dental to provide intensive case management, and medical, psychiatric, and dental care.  

Once built, the permanent facility will provide a space for case managers to more effectively build relationships with their clients. Consistency is critical for moving people into permanent housing successfully.  

“Providing a service or referral rarely creates impact without the trust of the provider,” says Niarhos “And we focus on those relationships, while offering connection to service and direct referrals when the person is ready to make a change.” 

As anyone in construction will note, zoning delays are a common challenge that can add time and cost to a project. Beacon of Hope’s housing facility was no exception. The nonprofit began the process to acquire the land in 2022. The same year, they applied for and received funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to build the facility.  

However, delays in zoning and in receiving the appropriate construction permits pushed back their construction by three years, tripling construction costs as inflation and supply chain issues steadily rose. Since their original zoning approvals were granted based on the approved site plans from 2022, they’ve had to increase their budget and fundraising efforts to accommodate the increase in cost without changing the size and scope of the building itself. 

Beyond One City 

While designed to meet a local need, the project may resonate nationally. Prefabricated, trauma-informed shelters could offer other communities a scalable solution to the growing crisis of homelessness. 

“This is not just about one building,” says Boorse. “It’s about rethinking how quickly and compassionately we can respond to human need.” 

For architects, the project is also a statement: Architecture has a responsibility not just to shape skylines, but to shape lives. 

Emma Hertz is the President and CEO of HealthSpark Foundation, a private foundation working to achieve a healthy, equitable, and hopeful Montgomery County. 

CITATIONS  

1.  2024 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, retrieved from chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf 

2.  “Montco commissioners approve new emergency shelter option in Pottstown,” WHYY. January 2024. https://whyy.org/articles/pottstown-emergency-homeless-shelter/.  

Captions: 

Plans for the borough’s new year-round emergency shelter, created using prefab construction techniques and trauma-informed design. Prefab construction provides flexibility and future-proofing as the need for emergency housing grows. PHOTO AND DIAGRAMS: COURTESY BEACON OF HOPE 

Sleeping spaces are private, offering privacy without isolation. Common spaces are designed to foster connection.  PHOTO AND DIAGRAMS: COURTESY BEACON OF HOPE 

The building design emphasizes light, safety and autonomy. PHOTO AND DIAGRAMS: COURTESY BEACON OF HOPE