The number of available beds in Maryland has increased every year since this study began. The table below shows that the number and type of shelter beds available varies considerably by jurisdiction. In FY97, most jurisdictions saw an increase in the number of available shelter beds. The mathematical average length of stay in Maryland shelters can be calculated by dividing the number of bednights by the number of people served. This mathematical average, however, applies only to nights spent in the Fiscal Year period of the survey.
Some transitional shelters allow residents to stay for two or more years.
In FY97, the overall average number of nights a person stayed in an emergency, transitional, part-year shelter or motel placement was 33 nights, the same as FY96. The graph to the left illustrates the change in average length of shelter stay in the past five years, by type of shelter. Between FY88 and FY97, there has been an increase, from 15 nights to 33 nights, in the overall average length of stay. This phenomenon can be partially explained by the growth of transitional shelters, which permit residents to stay longer than emergency facilities do. Transitional housing providers increasingly offer more comprehensive services to enable people to gather both the emotional and technical skills to move towards stable and independent housing.