Sanctuary Village was a temporary homeless shelter, designed to provide shelter and support to chronically homeless men and women during the winter of 2014-2015. Over the course of nearly 3 months during one of the coldest winters in recent memory, Sanctuary Village sheltered more than 200 people. Sanctuary Village was an unprecedented collaboration between the House of Mercy, Buckingham Properties, and the City of Rochester. Although it opened in January 2015, the roots of the program took hold several months before.
For many years, several men and women lived in the Civic Center Garage in downtown Rochester. As the only heated garage in the City and close to several provider agencies and resources, the garage was an attractive location for the chronically homeless. …